Pillars of Support
by SarcasticApathy
Summary: Doubt turns an accident into a crisis. Will the tennis team fall apart, or will the regulars step up and become Seigaku's pillars of support?
1. Doubt

**AN:** Yeah...this is my first story ever. So, yeah, it might suck, I don't know. But anyway, enjoy

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of Takeshi Konomi's characters or any of his ideas.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Doubt**

_A young boy holding an orange stood upon the edge of a cliff. He pulled off his shirt and dove into the sea below, looking back as he resurfaced. "Mada mada daze, Chi-bi-su-ke!" he yelled as he threw the orange at a small boy watching from the cliff. The boy on the cliff watched as the small citrus orb eclipsed the sun. _

_The world went black, the words "Mada mada daze," echoing in the abyss. _

"….chizen," a faint voice called out. "…Echizen," it called again. "Echizen! Wake up!" He woke with a jolt and looked around, trying to get his bearings. His classmates tittered with laughter.

For the third time that day, Echizen Ryoma, tennis prodigy and Seishun Gakuen's freshman ace, had been caught sleeping in class; this time in English.

"Echizen," repeated his teacher in an angry voice, "pay attention! Go to the restroom and wash your face if that will help you stay awake."

"Gomenasai sensei," Ryoma mumbled as he started toward the door. He solemnly walked through the halls of Seigaku, his mind a chaotic blur. He sleepily stumbled into the restroom and over to a sink. Ryoma stared into the mirror, losing focus as his thoughts tumbled around in his head.

"Why do I keep hearing those words?" he asked himself aloud, "and why is it even bothering me?" As he thought through everything that had happened since the cruise three months before, his answer became clear. Ryoma, while not usually vulnerable to bouts of self-doubt, was beginning to second-guess himself.

"Maybe I'm not good enough," he muttered. He looked back at his match history since enrolling at Seigaku. Sure, most of the matches had been cakewalks, but he'd had more trouble than he'd expected. I lost to both Tezuka-buchou and Sanada, he thought. I was able to beat them later, but they hadn't been at 100%. Tezuka-buchou's shoulder wasn't fully healed and he wasn't even able to activate Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami. Sanada, on the other hand, didn't even use "In" and "Rai" from his FuuRinKaaInZanRai, and I'd had to activate Muga no Kyouchi to win. The same goes for my match with Monkey King, he realized. If I hadn't used the power of Muga, I would have lost. Then, against Yukimura, I had to activate Teni'muhou no Kiwami just to stay ahead of him.

* * *

His thoughts kept following that downward spiral as the day wore on. At afternoon practice, his focus was so far gone that he almost lost to Arai, and then faltered in his match with Horio. Unbeknownst to Ryoma, his senpai-tachi had noticed this and had formed their infamous gossip circle. As usual, Kaidoh and Tezuka were the only two missing from the group.

"Ne, Inui," resident tensai Fuji Syuusuke asked, "what do you think's wrong with Echizen-kun?"

"According to my data," Inui Sadaharu, the data man of Seigaku, replied, "he's either ill or a student has been bothering him. However, considering the fact that Echizen's appetite hasn't been affected, I'd say there is a 75% chance that someone has been bullying him, a 20% chance that he is suffering from some sort of illness, a 4.5% chance that he's just having an off day, and a 0.5% chance that something is occurring that I have yet to gather data on."

"Nani?!? Someone's bullying Ochibi?" Kikumaru Eiji, the hyperactive acrobat, cried.

"E-eiji," Oishi Shuichiro, Seigaku's "mother hen," admonished. "We don't even know whether he really is being bullied. Besides, you may have overlooked it Inui but Echizen doesn't have any bruises or other injuries usually associated with bullying."

"…I never said it had to be a physical bully," Inui countered. "Emotional bullies are potentially much more dangerous than your average one. They can effectively destroy their victim from the inside out, creating invisible wounds that cause much more pain than a simple bruise."

"But," Momoshiro Takeshi, the knuckleheaded junior, urged, "if someone is doing that, you'd think someone, maybe Horio, would have said something about it. Also, if someone's messing with my best bud, I can't just let that slide, I can't."

"Guys," Kawamura Takashi, Seishun's power player, nervously interjected, "maybe we should just wait and see if Echizen isn't just having an off day. I personally think that has a much higher probability than bullying, no offense Inui."

"Saa…I agree with Taka-san," Fuji said. Although, no one was sure whether he himself would just let the situation continue; the tensai's piercing blue eyes had snapped open, and they were glittering maliciously. The others mentally shuddered; everyone knew that you didn't want to be on the receiving end of Fuji's wrath.

"I am in agreement," the data man stated, breaking the silence. However, he thought, I will conduct some research in attempts to gather more information on the situation. Something must be wrong with my data, Oishi and Taka are right; Echizen is probably just having an off day. Inui, ever prideful of his data-gathering abilities, was rather upset that, for once, the others were contradicting him.

"Practice is over!" came the booming voice of Seigaku's captain, Tezuka Kunimitsu. "Freshmen, pick up the balls and put the nets away. Juniors, be prepared for intense training tomorrow; today was a bit of a break. Seniors, your final chance to become a regular is coming up, be ready to play without regrets. Regulars, continue individual training. However, please stay behind for a quick meeting in the clubhouse. Let's not get careless. Dismissed!"

As the club members went about their tasks, the gossiping regulars shared a glance. "Crud, Buchou caught us talking again," Eiji whined.

* * *

Throughout practice, Ryoma's mind had been focused on his musings. He was becoming more and more convinced that he just wasn't good enough. This idea also applied to his appointment as Seigaku's pillar of support. How could he be relied upon when he still had so much to work on?

When he heard the announcement regarding the meeting in the clubhouse, Ryoma assumed the other regulars had been gossiping again. It had happened before; the captain had a very low tolerance level for slackers. Sighing and rolling his eyes, he shuffled to the clubhouse—one of the last to get there—and steeled himself for whatever punishment Tezuka might give them.

* * *

The regulars awaited their fate as the other members quickly left the clubhouse. They didn't want to be around if their no-nonsense captain was about to deal out punishment.

"Why do we have to have a meeting today?" Momo complained. "Now I'm going to be late for my date with Ann-chan."

"Shut up," Kaidoh Kaoru, the viper and Momo's longtime rival, growled, "we're probably here because of some stupid action of yours."

"What did you say mamushi?" Momo replied, his voice rising to a dangerous level.

"You heard me," Kaidoh hissed, always ready for a confrontation, "this is your fault."

The argument quickly escalated into an all-out brawl. This was rather troublesome for the other regulars; the clubhouse was a rather confined space. Ryoma, who was, yet again, not paying attention to his surroundings, got caught up in the mayhem. As Momoshiro swung his fist, hoping to hit his bandana-wearing rival, Kaidoh ducked. In horror, Momo tried to stop his attack, but his efforts were futile. His clenched fist crashed into the freshman's face, knocking the boy back at least ten feet. Ryoma landed with a thud, his vision going black. He fought to maintain consciousness, but didn't have the energy.

"Echizen!" the regulars cried simultaneously. They rushed over to the sprawled figure, Oishi pulling out a first-aid kit as he ran. "Momo, find Tezuka and Ryuuzaki-sensei immediately!"

"No need," came the reply in a guilt-ridden voice. Oishi looked up to see Tezuka observing with a concerned expression. Coach Ryuuzaki was speaking with someone on her cell phone. As he listened, he realized she was requesting an ambulance for their unconscious rookie.

Oishi looked around to see how the others were fairing with the incident. Eiji was on the verge of tears, quietly muttering something that sounding surprisingly like a prayer. Kawamura was watching, waiting to see if he was needed. Kaidoh was glaring at Momoshiro, whose head was bowed in shame and guilt. Inui was scribbling furiously in his notebook, apparently gathering data on some unknown aspect of the whole ordeal. Tezuka was watching, his face as expressionless as ever, but Oishi could see the concern in his eyes. As he turned to look at the tensai, he felt an ominous force so powerful, it nearly bowled him over.

Fuji was frightening at the best of times; now he was downright scary. His electric-blue eyes were open, glistening dangerously. His ever-present smile was nowhere to be seen, a very bad sign. The tensai's fists were clenched so hard his knuckles were white. But, the thing that scared Oishi the most was Fuji's aura. It was an aura of pure evil and malice. Currently, it was directed at Momo, who was feeling too guilty to notice. Oishi was extremely glad he wasn't in Momo's shoes right now. Knowing that there was no way to placate the furious senior, he looked back at Ryoma, and was appalled at what he saw.

The freshman was barely breathing. His lips had a tinge of blue. Oishi checked for a pulse. Fear engulfed him when he didn't feel one. However, relief swept over him as he detected a faint beat. However weak Ryoma was at the moment, at least he was alive.

* * *

When the ambulance arrived, the regulars made room for the medical team. Seeing the state of the patient, the medical experts double-stepped as they worked. They gently placed Ryoma on a stretcher and carried him to the back of the ambulance. Coach Ryuuzaki offered to take four members of the team to the hospital; a support team of sorts, incase their friend needed it. There was no question as to who would go with the coach and who would take the bus.

"Fuji, Oishi, and Momoshiro," barked Tezuka, "you're coming with me in Ryuuzaki-sensei's car. The rest of you will join us as soon as possible. Take the bus or call a parent, I don't care, but you'd better be there when Echizen comes to. Let's not get careless."

Eiji, Inui, Kawamura, and Kaidoh watched as their coach's car sped off after the ambulance. There were few complaints as they ran to the closest bus stop. However, a car pulled up as they were waiting. The window rolled down and a familiar face appeared.

"Takashi! I got a call from Ryuuzaki-sensei. Hurry, get in you four!" Kawamura's father called. The four regulars didn't need being told twice; they piled into the car, and the car sped in the direction of the hospital.

* * *

Meanwhile, there was a very tense atmosphere in Coach Ryuuzaki's car. Fuji was attempting to kill Momo with one of his most piercing death glares. The junior was curled up in the feedle position. Luckily, Oishi was sitting between the two in the back seat. Tezuka, for his part, ordered the tensai to calm down.

"Momo, I'll only ask you this once: why did you hit Echizen-kun?" Fuji asked in a deceivingly calm voice.

"I'm so sorry!" the frightened junior cried. "I was just so frustrated at mamushi and my anger got the best of me. When he ducked, I tried to stop, but I couldn't."

"Fuji! Momoshiro is already suffering from enough guilt. Stop! Calm down, Echizen isn't the type to just give up, he'll be okay," Tezuka said, partly to keep himself calm.

"Saa…gomen Tezuka. I'll behave," Fuji replied, his signature smile returning. Oishi shivered, though, seeing that the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

* * *

**AN:** Yay, chapter 1 is complete! So, yeah, review if you feel like it. If you don't that's fine, I know there are plenty of times I haven't.


	2. Decisions

**AN:** YAY! Now I know why so many people love getting reviews. You people are awesome. Thanks so much for your encouragement. This chapter might answer a few questions about Ryoma's condition. But, it won't answer all of them, where would be the fun in that? XD Oh yeah, if the characters start to seem to OOC please tell me. It could take away from the story, so I want to avoid it if possible. So, yeah, here's chapter 2, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of Takeshi Konomi's creations or ideas.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Decisions**

"Where am I?" Ryoma asked the darkness that enveloped him. "Oh wait, I remember, Momo hit me in the face." The freshman's thoughts moved around sluggishly. "Am I going to die?" he asked himself. He wasn't sure why he would die, it was just one punch. I'm a healthy teen, he reminded himself, just barely a teen at thirteen, but a healthy one nonetheless. But, he asked himself, do I even want to live anymore? What's the point? I know I'm not good enough to be who everyone expects me to be. My life is, has been, and will always be one big failure. A part of his mind protested at these morbid thoughts, but they hardly registered as Ryoma began to convince himself that he wasn't worth anything and no one would miss him.

He heard voices echo in his mind. "Mada mada daze, Chibisuke!" That voice belonged to Ryoga. Another familiar voice spoke up. "Mada mada daze, Seishounen." This one belonged to Echizen Nanjiroh, ex-pro and father to both Ryoma and Ryoga.

That's right, Ryoma reminded himself. I'll always just be "mada mada."

* * *

The regulars converged at the reception desk at in the emergency room. They frantically asked the receptionist where their kouhai was. The barrage of questions frightened the woman as she backed away from the teens.

"Minna! Calm down and be quiet!" roared Tezuka. The other regulars, as one, silenced themselves immediately. The captain went up to the desk. "Excuse me, could you tell me where Echizen Ryoma is currently being held?" The receptionist quietly nodded, relief evident on her face.

"Umm…Oh! Here it is! Echizen Ryoma, room 231A. That'll be on the fourth floor. The elevators are over there," she gestured. "When you reach the right floor, follow the signs to find his room."

"Arigatou gozaimasu," Tezuka replied. "To the elevators! But, be quiet, we're in a hospital and we don't want to disrupt the doctors."

The regulars quickly ran to the elevators, pressed the button and waited. One of the doors slid open, and the eight tennis players rushed in. Thankfully, there was no one else currently in said elevator. As they waited, elevator music quietly playing, they looked at each other. Each teen was just as nervous as the others; all of them wondering whether their precious little kouhai would be okay. The doors opened yet again, and the regulars sprinted toward their destination. However, they were stopped by a nurse right outside the room.

"I'm sorry, but Echizen Ryoma is currently in no condition to see visitors, you'll have to leave and come back later," she said.

"No way!" Momoshiro yelled. "We're getting in there to see Echizen." The others nodded their agreement.

They continued to argue. The nurse realized that she had no chance of dismissing the anxious teens.

"Fine, you may enter his room. However, the doctor is still performing tests, so the curtain will be drawn around Echizen-san's bed. Please be quiet," she said, finally relenting to their persistent pleas. The regulars readily agreed.

As they tiptoed into the room, astonishment was evident on their faces. Even with the curtain drawn, there were several beeping machined recording data. They listened as the doctor performed some tests on Ryoma. Then, the doctor pulled the curtain open, flinching in surprise when he saw the unexpected visitors. He tilted a head toward the freshman, a signal to finally look at their kouhai. They gasped in unison.

Ryoma's face was extremely pale, his lips bluish-gray. However, he seemed to be stable and sleeping peacefully. The doctor then gestured toward the monitor displaying heart rate and brain activity. Fear gnawed at the regulars as they turned their heads. Ryoma's heartbeat was currently at a very low 20 beats per minute. His brain activity level was almost non-existent, a very bad sign. A small whimper was heard from the back. As one, their eyes flicked toward the sound. The sight surprised them.

Momoshiro was sobbing silently, tears coursing down his cheeks. His eyes showed the horrible guilt he was feeling. Although he did his best to keep his grief silent, there were some points when it was too unbearable, hence the small whimper. Eiji put a comforting arm around the junior, steering him out of the room. This mature action from the hyperactive acrobat almost surprised them as much as Momo's sudden weakness. The doctor made a slight cough, effectively regaining the attention of the remaining regulars. With another gesture, they followed him out of the room and to what they guessed was the man's office.

"Hello, my name is Itoshiko Akina," the doctor began. He paused, seeming to be at a loss for words. "As you saw in Echizen-san's room, the situation is far from positive. From my preliminary tests, I have deduced that your friend is currently in a coma." This statement evoked several gasps. "However, if he fights to return to consciousness, he should come to in a matter of hours. On the other hand, if he isn't so enthusiastic about returning to the world of the living…he could die. But this is the worst case scenario," he ensured them, seeing panicked expressions on all but Tezuka's face.

"If I could ask a question," Fuji began. He continued with a nod in the affirmative, "How could something as simple as a punch to the face cause such a drastic reaction?"

"Ah, as to that, I have pinpointed that to three possible causes. The first is that I believe Echizen-san's jaw is broken," his statement again forced some of the regulars to take a few deep breaths. "The second," he continued, "is the possibility that Echizen-san has a medical disorder that would produce such an effect—there are several, so I won't bother listing them. The third, final, and—in my honest opinion—major cause, is that Echizen-san has been suffering from some sort of emotional trauma."

"I see. If that is the case, there is a high probability—roughly a 77% chance—that Echizen is currently debating whether or not to continue living," Inui concluded, recording the entire conversation in one of his notebooks.

"Nani?!?" came a frantic voice from the door. "Inui, please tell me you're joking," Eiji pleaded. When the data man slowly shook his head, the senior visibly wilted, on the verge of tears.

"Eiji," Oishi questioned, "where's Momo?"

"I took him down to the cafeteria and bought him a bottle of water and some ice cream. Hopefully, it will calm him down," Eiji replied, a serious look on his face.

"Thank you, Eiji," Tezuka said, "good job." The acrobat muttered a quiet "Sankyuu," suddenly embarrassed.

"Getting back to Echizen-san's condition," Akina continued as the others returned their focus to the matter at hand, "Inui-san is correct. Unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing we can do, aside from feeding him through tubes if necessary. This is something that Echizen-san must work out on his own. All we can do is wait and hope he returns to us. If you'll excuse me, it appears that Echizen-san's parents are here, and I must discuss some matter with them." With that, he left the regulars to quietly ponder over the situation.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Tezuka made the decision to go see Momoshiro. With a little sign-reading, and under Eiji's direction, the group made it to the hospital cafeteria. When they, arrived, however, they were surprised by the fact that the spiky-haired junior was not there. Eiji's keen eyes spotted a piece of paper on the table at which Momo had been sitting. They rushed over without another word. The paper turned out to be a note. Eiji decided to read it out loud.

"Senpai-tachi and Mamushi," Kaidoh made a small, frustrated hiss at the snide remark, "I'm guessing you will come down here after you talk with the doctor. I decided to go home ahead of you guys. I have a lot of things to sort out. Eiji-senpai, thank you so much for the food and the comforting words, they helped a lot. I'll pay you back sometime, even though you probably don't want any payment for your actions. Tezuka-buchou, I apologize, but I probably won't be mentally able to participate in tennis practice for the rest of the week. I hope one of you will call me to tell me about Echizen's current condition. Thanks for everything, Momoshiro." By the end of the note, Eiji's voice had begun to crack.

"Momoshiro brought up a good point," Tezuka stated. "For the rest of the week, tennis practice will be strictly voluntary, and I'm not sure if I will even be there tomorrow." The others wholeheartedly agreed to this decision. "Now, does anyone need any help getting home?" Everyone was fine in that regard.

"I'll stop by Momo's on the way home," Eiji said. "His house is on the way, so it won't be a problem." With that, the regulars headed their separate ways, their thoughts collectively on the super rookie of Seigaku, whom they had begun to see as their little brother.

* * *

Eiji stepped out of the bus and looked around, getting his bearings. He turned right and set off looking for the right street. After about ten minutes of searching, he found Momoshiro's street. He followed the road, stopping as he arrived at the right house. The acrobatic tennis player went up the front steps and rang the doorbell. He waited; nothing happened. He rang it again, getting the same result. Puzzled, he knocked on the door, hoping the problem was caused by a faulty doorbell. Again, nothing. Against his better judgment, Eiji tried opening the door. To his surprise, it opened quite easily.

"What's going on?" he muttered as he warily shuffled into the house. Thankfully, Eiji had been to Momoshiro's house before. He carefully made his way to the stairs, glancing backward every so often to make sure no one was following him. As he approached Momo's room, fear struck the tennis player's core. The door was ajar, something that would never happen on a normal day. He ran to his kouhai's room, desperately hoping nothing was wrong. He gasped; his fears had been well founded.

Momoshiro was sprawled out on the floor, a bottle in his hands. Eiji bent down to get a closer look and was only slightly surprised to see it was a bottle of sleeping pills.

"Damn it, Momo, suicide isn't going to make anything better," Eiji growled, trying to remain calm. He pulled out his cell phone and called the emergency number. After giving them the required information, he hung up. He began to dial a new number; this time he was calling Tezuka.

"Tezuka here," came the expressionless voice of Seigaku's captain.

"Tezuka-buchou, we have a problem," Eiji said, the panic rising in his voice.

"Is it about Momoshiro?" Tezuka asked, with a very tinge of fear evident in his voice.

"Yeah. Tezuka-buchou, Momo…tried to kill himself." Eiji replied.

"He did what?" the captain answered, his voice beginning to rise. "Eiji, what happened?"

"I don't know," the acrobat replied in distress. "When I got to Momo's house, no one answered the door. I tried opening it and it wasn't locked. The house was deserted, so I went up to Momo's room to see if he was sleeping or something. When I stepped into his room, I found him on the floor holding a bottle of sleeping pills."

"You did call for an ambulance, correct?" Tezuka asked, responsible as ever Eiji thought.

"Yep. Tezuka-buchou, what are we going to do? This accident with Ochibi is slowly destroying the tennis team."

"…I don't know Eiji. I suppose all we can do is to support our friends in their time of need. Anyway, call Oishi and tell him about Momo. I'll call the others."

"Arigatou, Tezuka-buchou," Eiji replied. "Bye."

"Good bye, Eiji. Thanks for checking on Momo or we wouldn't have been able to help in time." Tezuka hung up. Eiji dialed yet another number; Oishi's this time. Luckily, his partner's number was on speed dial.

"Oishi here," he answered, eerily similar to Tezuka's greeting.

"Oishi, Momo tried to commit suicide," Eiji stated, not wanting to beat around the bush. In retrospect, it was probably not one of his best ideas.

"NANI?!?" Oishi screamed, sounding as though he was about to faint. Eiji pulled away from the receiver, massaging his ear.

"Ne, not so loud Oishi. Yes, he attempted suicide. He's not dead yet, but he's already overdosed on sleeping pills."

"I wonder what's going to happen to the team," Oishi pondered. "It seems like Echizen's situation is slowly destroying the tennis team," he remarked, echoing his doubles partner's words. "Okay Eiji, when the ambulance gets there, ride with Momo to the hospital. The rest of us will join you as soon as we can."

"Okay Oishi. See ya later!" the acrobat said, hanging up.

Eiji sighed as he knelt down next to the unconscious junior. He felt for a heart beat and found one; faint but strong. Momo was also still breathing; a good sign. Then, Eiji heard the siren of the ambulance. He rushed down the stairs and out the door. He waved to direct the driver over to the correct house. The men hopped out of the ambulance.

"Lead on," one of them said. Eiji, not needing to be told twice, ran back to Momoshiro's room, the other two on his heels. They picked Momo up and put him on a stretcher, reminding Eiji of the events that occured earlier this afternoon.

When they got back to the vehicle, Eiji hopped in and sat next to Momo. The ambulance sped off toward the hospital that Eiji had left a mere hour ago.

* * *

**AN:** So, yeah, I've got school for, what, another 3 days? So, with finals and whatever, I might not be able to update for a little while, sorry! So, yeah, again, review if you want to, if you don't it's fine, but they are much appreciated.


	3. Hope

**AN: **Ahhh! Sorry for the delay, you guys, but I had a ridiculous amount of projects/essays to finish for my finals. I guess it's not that much of a delay - only a few days, but whatever. Thanks for the reviews. Anyway, this chapter is a little longer, as a treat for waiting. I'm going to try to avoid the overused storyline where someone has an issue, goes to the hospital, then a friend becomes their support. ....Yeah, it kinda sounds like this story, but you'll see what I mean. Again, if characters seem too OOC, then tell me. But, if they seem a little more mature, that's part of the story. So, yeah, here's chapter 3, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of Takeshi Konomi's creations or ideas.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Hope**

Eiji followed the doctors as they rushed Momoshiro to the nearest surgery room. He was forced to wait right outside the door. The acrobat lowered himself onto one of the available benches, wondering what would happen next. The light above the doorway turned on, a vivid red. That meant that surgery was currently in progress. Eiji resigned himself to wait.

* * *

Meanwhile, the other regulars were rushing in through the emergency room entrance. If the receptionist was surprised to see the boys again, she didn't show it.

"Could you tell us where one Momoshiro Takeshi is being held?" Tezuka asked, again the spokesperson for the team.

"Hold on," the lady said, clicking away on her keyboard. "Momoshiro Takeshi. He's currently in the middle of surgery, room S17. If you'd like, I could call for someone to direct you to that area. You would have to wait outside the room, but there are benches for just this type of circumstance."

"Arigatou gozaimasu, that would be much appreciated," the captain replied. With a comforting smile, the receptionist pressed a button on the inside of the desk. Two minutes later, a man rushed up to the desk, panting as though he'd run across the entire hospital. The woman pointed to the group of tennis players, and the man nodded.

"Follow me please," he said between breaths. After confirming the room number with the receptionist, he led them through several hallways, turning right and left at random moments. The arrived at an area of benches, one of which was currently being occupied. With a small grin, the man left the regulars to their own devices.

"Eiji," Oishi said. The acrobat didn't respond. Seigaku's mother hen walked over, only to discover that his partner was asleep. Chuckling, he lifted the acrobat and placed him on one of the softer benches to the side.

"Ne, Tezuka," Fuji began. "What will we do when Momo-chan's out of surgery?"

"…Fuji, why must you always ask these questions?" Tezuka retorted; he could feel the beginnings of a headache.

"Saa…it's my job Tezuka-_buchou_," he replied with a sadistic grin, emphasizing the honorific in a mocking tone. Fuji was probably the only one who could get away with teasing the formidable captain of Seishun Gakuen.

"Well, to answer your question," Tezuka continued, "we'll wait for him to wake up, and then we'll gently ask him why he did what he did. Hopefully, Eiji will be awake by that point, as well. It seems as though he is closest to Momoshiro, with the exception of Echizen, of course."

"Ah, that reminds me," the tensai replied, "I'm going to go check on Ryoma-chan." Tezuka's eyebrow rose at the informality of Fuji's statement.

"Ryoma-chan?" he repeated. The sadist grinned.

"Since this afternoon, I've felt as though Ryoma-chan were another little brother. So, from now on, he will be my Ryoma-chan." Tezuka shook his head; there was no stopping Fuji when he was feeling possessive. He just hoped it wouldn't escalate to more than that. Although he hadn't shown it during the match in the semi-finals of the Nationals, the public displays of affection between two boys had unnerved the captain. Besides, he doubted that Echizen was even like that.

"Okay, go ahead and visit Echizen," Tezuka replied. "If he's awake, which I doubt, tell him that his team supports him, and that we will be along as soon as possible."

"Sure, Tezuka," Fuji said, walking off toward the elevators.

* * *

In the surgery room, the surgeons were currently watching the meters recording Momoshiro's vital signs. Brain activity had already increased, and the heart beat count was rising. They wiped their brows and grinned; it looked like they had done there job this time.

* * *

A dull ache permeated Momoshiro's thoughts as he slowly returned to consciousness.

"What happened?" he mentally asked himself. "Oh yeah, I tried to kill myself." He berated himself for acting so rashly. He could hear voices; although, they sounded as though they were a good distance away. But, Momoshiro reasoned, that's probably because I'm only semiconscious.

"Momo! You're such an idiot!" he silently yelled. "Why would you commit suicide just because you injured your friend? That's not how a best friend should behave. You should have just supported Echizen and hope he gets better. Instead, you decided to try to end your own life; an action that would have solved nothing and caused even more problems." He continued to reprimand himself as he became more and more aware of his surroundings.

He felt the platform he was on—one of those bed-cart things, he supposed—begin to move. A nurse was taking him to his room. As Momoshiro lay there, he was dismayed when he realized that he would have to explain himself to his formidable and uncompromising captain.

* * *

When the regulars saw the light above the door turn off, they anxiously waited for news regarding their teammate and friend. One of the surgeons walked out and looked around. After giving the tennis players a cursory look, he began his explanation.

"Your friend should be just fine," he reassured them. They breathed a sigh of relief at this. "We managed to get the medicine from the sleeping pills out of his stomach, and removed most of it from his bloodstream. However, this may cause a state of weakness for a couple of days while his body forms more blood." A few of the more astute teens nodded, showing they understood. "Anyway," he continued, seeing that he was quickly losing his audience, "the monitors indicated that he was returning to consciousness even as the nurse carted him out of the room. He's unusually strong for someone who attempted suicide," he remarked. The regulars grinned; it sounded like Momo would be back to normal in no time.

"Arigatou gozaimasu," Tezuka replied. "Ah, could you tell us which room he will be kept in?"

"Umm…231B I believe. You may want to double check with the receptionist, though"

"Okay. Minna!" he said, addressing the others, "we will go to the reception desk to find out which room Momoshiro is being held in. Then, we'll go see our little trickster. Again, be quiet, we're in a hospital." Oishi gently woke Eiji, telling him what happened. When the acrobat was awake, he indicated he was ready to go.

As one, the regulars rushed off to see the unfortunate women. Before they could even ask, the receptionist said, "Momoshiro Takeshi, room 231B." They nodded their thanks and went off on the path they had taken to Ryoma's room earlier that day.

When they arrived at the room, a doctor came out.

"Ah, I suppose you would be Momoshiro-san's friends. Well, he's already awake," he chuckled. "By the way, does he always complain so much? He kept saying something about getting out of bed to visit Echizen-san." With a laugh, he strolled off to his next patient.

Eiji rushed in ahead of the others. The others gave him space, considering he was responsible for Momo's recovery. He saw his spiky-haired kouhai sitting in bed, a scowl on his face. Momoshiro looked around, saw Eiji, and grinned.

"Eiji-senpai! Finally, someone who will listen to me. The doctors won't let me out of bed to see Echizen. What's his condition anyway? I left before I could actually find out." The acrobatic tennis player beamed, his first real smile since afternoon tennis practice. He wasn't just happy about his friend's improved condition, he was also glad that his fear of the tennis team falling apart were all for naught.

"Sorry Momo-chan, I haven't gone to see Ochibi since our first visit. Fujiko-chan is checking on him, though, so he can tell you when he gets here." Seeing Momoshiro's frown he added, "Although, it won't be a long wait, you're in the room right next to Ochibi."

"Nani? I've been twenty feet away from the brat, and they won't let me see him? It's an outrage, a scandal!" He continued to rant as the other regulars came in. Momoshiro's expression became somber again, however, when he spotted Tezuka.

"Gomenasai Tezuka-buchou," he began, doing his best to bow while sitting. "I shouldn't have acted as rashly as I did. I knew suicide wouldn't help, but I guess I let myself succumb to despair. Punish me if you must, but please find it in your heart to forgive me." Tezuka's expression softened.

"Momoshiro, it's okay. We were all worried about Echizen; you more than the rest of us because you _accidentally _caused it," he said, emphasizing said word. "We all make mistakes. None of us are angry with you; we're just glad that you're okay." The junior grinned sheepishly.

"All right," Tezuka said, addressing the group as a whole. "We should probably go home. It's getting late," he continued, checking his watch. "It's almost 9 p.m. Call your parents to let them know where you are, then come down to the lobby. I'll arrange for transportation. Momoshiro, I can call your parents, if you'd like, and tell them you're at the hospital."

"It's fine, Tezuka-buchou. I can just use the hospital phone." He pointed at the telephone on his bedside table. "It's probably better if they hear what happened from me, rather than from a friend." Tezuka nodded, somewhat impressed with the junior's maturity.

"Oh," the captain added as he turned to leave, "someone tell Fuji about the arrangements." And, with that, he left. One by one, the others left the room as well, until Momoshiro was left with Oishi.

"Oishi-senpai," he asked, "I was just wondering: who was it that came to my house and took me to the hospital? I'd like to thank him."

"Ah," Oishi replied, the corner of his mouth twitching as he resisted the urge to smile, "Eiji went to your house to check on you. When he found you unconscious, he made sure you got to the hospital as quickly as possible. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Momo," he said as he walked off.

"Bye, Oishi-senpai," Momoshiro replied, his voice barely more than a whisper. As he looked back at everything that had occurred that day—and could you even call it a day, he thought, it felt so much longer—he realized that Eiji had helped him out a lot. "Arigatou, Eiji-senpai," he whispered into the now empty room. He lay back down and closed his eyes. Within moments, sleep came to take him away to an entirely different world.

* * *

Echizen Ryoma's thoughts had continued their downward spiral toward suicidal. Already in a coma, his heartbeat was becoming fainter, his breathing shallower. However, before his mind could continue to shut his body down, a voice spoke up in his head.

"Ryoma, what's wrong with you." It was the rational side of his mind, the part that had been trying to prevent his morbid thoughts. "There is no reason you should give up on life. 'Mada mada daze' Those words that you took to heart are just that, words. Besides, your brother and father weren't telling you that you were worthless; they just want you to continue to improve. Snap out of it. You have friends and family who care about you; people who want you in their lives because they love you. How dare you say that your life is a failure? You're only just barely thirteen. You have a long life ahead of you, and a successful one at that, if you continue to improve your tennis abilities."

Comforted by these words, Ryoma wondered whether that part of his mind was right. Maybe this was just a huge misunderstanding, and he really was worth something. He still wasn't quite sure, but those thoughts had halted his decline.

Even as Fuji Syuusuke watched, the heartbeat count began to rise.

* * *

While the other regulars had waited to hear about Momo, Fuji had been busy. Before he went up to Ryoma's room, he'd stopped at the gift shop to buy some flowers. Luckily, the hospital room already had a vase; otherwise he would have been forced to spend more of his allowance on one.

As he filled the vase with water, Fuji thought about everything that had happened. By his reckoning, this was all Momoshiro's fault, regardless of whether or not Ryoma had, in fact, been suffering from some emotional turmoil. So, if his Ryoma-chan didn't wake up soon, Fuji would be forced into action. Violent action.

He watched Ryoma, the boy's chest rising slightly with as he breathed. Although he had implied other intentions when he'd talked with Tezuka, Fuji had no desire to become more than good friends with his kouhai. Ryoma had become a surrogate younger brother; one that he was able to see more often than his actual brother, Yuuta. The tensai had been upset ever since Yuuta decided to leave Seigaku, but he'd understood why. When Ryoma enrolled at the school and joined the tennis club, he was again able to act like an older brother. Sure there were Momoshiro and Kaidoh, but they were taller than Fuji himself, making it difficult to treat them as little brothers.

"Wake up soon, Ryoma-chan," Fuji muttered. "We all miss you. Whether you believe it or not, we care for you."

That was when he saw the number on the monitor begin to rise. The heartbeat count. Ecstatic, Fuji turned back to the comatose boy. His appearance had barely changed, but the sharp eyes of the tensai detected a slightly larger rise in the boy's chest as Ryoma breathed.

"That's right, Ryoma-chan, fight whatever dark thoughts have entered your head. Come back to us."

Oishi came in a few minutes later. He saw the smile on Fuji's face, but wasn't sure if anything had happened. The tensai was always smiling, making it incredibly difficult to figure out what was going on in the senior's head.

"Fuji," he whispered. Said boy turned to be addressed. "How's Echizen?"

"He's doing much better, I think. His heart is beating faster, and he's breathing more normally," Fuji replied.

Oishi sighed with relief. "That's great news. Oh, by the way, Tezuka wanted each of us to call our parents so they don't get worried."

"Doesn't matter," the tensai replied, "my parents are away, visiting some relatives. Anything else?"

"Ah, yeah. Tezuka also said that he would arrange for transportation. I'm not sure why, we could just take the bus, but whatever. He wanted everyone to go down to the lobby when we're finished up here. The others are already on their way down, I believe."

"Saa…it's just like Tezuka to provide safer transportation. Well, I'm done here. Momo probably fell asleep after you guys left, so we might as well go meet Tezuka," Fuji concluded. Oishi agreed and they quietly exited the room and made their way to the elevators.

* * *

Tezuka massaged his temples. He knew he should have brought more aspirin, but he really didn't expect such an eventful day. He'd already called Ryuuzaki-sensei, Kawamura-san, and, surprisingly, Echizen Rinko. He chose to call the most reliable people he knew, and, considering he didn't know the rest of his teammates' parents, he'd called those households. He judged that Echizen Nanjiroh wouldn't be the best choice. Luckily, his spouse had bullied the phone away from the lazy ex-pro, and had agreed to pick up some of the regulars.

Sitting in one of the hospital's armchairs, he watched as the regulars filed into the lobby. Kaidoh, Inui, and Kawamura first; he wasn't too surprised, they were relatively mature and would be able to handle matters quickly. Five minutes later, Eiji showed up. Again, not too surprising; he'd expected Oishi to go see Fuji, and Eiji had been much more mature in the past several hours than he'd thought possible. Another ten minutes later, Oishi and Fuji walked in from the hallway leading to the elevators. He made a mental note to ask one of them about Echizen's situation.

"Minna!" he announced. The others silenced themselves immediately. "I've called Ryuuzaki-sensei, Kawamura-san, and Echizen Rinko-san about transportation. They've agreed to provide rides for everyone. Fuji and I will ride with Ryuuzaki sensei. Eiji and Oishi, you're with Echizen Rinko, don't cause trouble. Inui and Kaidoh, you'll ride with the Kawamuras. Any objections?" When the regulars shook their heads, Tezuka continued.

"Regarding tennis practice: I will cancel practice for tomorrow, I think everyone, we especially, needs a break. After tomorrow, we will have practice as usual. However, for the next week, attendance is voluntary. Anyway, the adults should be here about now, let's go outside."

They shuffled out the doors, and saw the three adults standing in a group, chatting. When the regulars approached, they turned.

"Well, everyone go join the person you're riding with." When they were with the correct adults, she nodded. "I hope you'll provide information regarding your fellow regulars to each of us. Especially you two," she added, directing her gaze at the Golden Pair. The seven teens nodded. "Okay, I'll see all of you tomorrow, dismissed!"

They went their separate ways, each hopping into their respective cars. As they traveled home, they told the drivers about their friends. Ryuuzaki-sensei and Kawamura-san took the news well. Rinko-san was visibly upset, holding back tears as she waved good-bye to the doubles pair. She drove home, tears coursing down her face.

* * *

As Tezuka flopped onto his bed two hours later, he sighed. He'd extracted as much information as he could from Fuji, and heard some good news. The captain hoped that the others would be okay tomorrow. As he fell asleep, his last thought seemed to carry across the city: Let's not get careless.

* * *

**AN:** So yeah, I thought I'd end the day. Three chapters to progress like what...8 hours? (3 p.m. - 11 p.m.) But anyway, reviews are cool, but you don't have to if u don't want to. That's why there's a button. It's a choice.....But it's a good choice. :)


	4. Beginning

**AN: **Aaagh! Who knew upgrading your internet service could be such a bother. Anyway, thanks for the reviews you guys, you're awesome. So, yeah, this chapter gives you an insight into the lives of every regular. Here's chapter 4, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Takeshi Konomi's ideas or creations.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Beginning**

Ryoma's heartbeat stabilized around 35 beats per minute during the night. The doctors took this as a good sign. It still wasn't back to the normal level for a sleeping teen, but it was better than a meager 20 beats. However, they gawked at the brain activity monitor. It was displaying a level far higher than it should have. It was the rather low activity that had allowed them to diagnose the boy as comatose. Now, they were unsure what to do because all other signs indicated that Ryoma would be unconscious for at least another few days. Though puzzled, they left the room, having completed their tests.

The high level of brain activity was no mystery to the boy on the bed, however. In his mind Echizen Ryoma was beginning his experiment. It was a process that would help him decide whether or not he was truly worthy of the expectations placed upon him.

* * *

The following morning began just like any other. Tezuka Kunimitsu awoke at precisely 5:30 a.m. He prepared for school; taking a quick shower to freshen up. He always hated going to hospitals. It usually took him a couple of showers to feel clean again, even though such buildings were extraordinarily sanitary.

After toweling himself dry, the tennis captain brushed his teeth for exactly two minutes; a model of hygiene. He then hurried down to the kitchen, where his mother had prepared a traditional Japanese breakfast. As he ate, his posture was very rigid. When he finished, he took the dishes to the sink, rinsed them off, and went back upstairs. He gathered his school materials and headed back down the staircase. Tezuka picked up his tennis equipment as he walked out the door, bidding his mother farewell. He was going to meet with Oishi before morning tennis practice, and he didn't want to be late.

Tezuka's mother watched her son's form grow smaller as he walked away. She was extremely proud of her perfect son, but she wished he would just loosen up.

* * *

Oishi Shuichiro's morning routine also went off without a hitch. The water hadn't gone cold during his shower, as it was prone to do. His breakfast was just right, nothing had been burned today, a first for the week. Oishi stopped at the door before leaving.

"Mother," he said, "the regulars and I are going to visit Echizen at the hospital again."

"Ah, the little one?" she asked. "Poor dear, I hope he'll be all right." She began to babble on about making something for Ryoma, or having her son buy something for the freshman. Oishi sighed, wondering if this was where he got his "mother hen" tendencies. He said goodbye to his mother and walked out the door, hurrying to meet up with Tezuka.

* * *

The morning, however, had not been great for a certain redheaded acrobat. Eiji had had nightmares throughout the night.

First, he'd been in Ryoma's room. His kouhai had been awake and had greeted the senior. Then, without warning, the boy collapsed. Every monitor showed the same thing: Ryoma had flatlined, he was dead. This had woken Eiji in the middle of the night, but he'd been able to fall back to sleep. His second nightmare, though, was much more traumatizing to the senior.

_It was the day before, when Eiji had gone to see Momoshiro. Unfortunately, the bus had been ten minutes late. When he finally got into the vehicle, he realized he didn't have any money to ride. He was forced to get off and walk. The resulting trek took the acrobat almost an hour to complete._

_When he arrived at the junior's house, he rushed over to the door. What happened in real life occurred in the dream as well. No one answered the door, so he was forced to try it. This time, however, it was locked. Frantic, Eiji began to try windows, hoping that the neighbors wouldn't call the cops. He found an unlocked window and let himself in. _

_The house was, again, deserted. He all but ran up to Momoshiro's room. The tennis player found his kouhai on the collapsed on the floor. He bent down next to him, hoping the boy's condition would be similar to before. Fear gripped him when he saw Momoshiro's complexion. His lips were very blue. He looked toward the junior's fingers to find that they, too, had a bluish tinge. He checked for the faintest hint of a breath. Nothing. He checked for a pulse, hoping against hope that the inevitable had not happened. Again, nothing. Eiji whimpered. This time, Momoshiro was dead._

_The senior found a note on his deceased friend's desk. It said:_

"_Eiji-senpai, even with your help at the hospital, I wasn't able to fight my despair. I actually waited for half an hour, hoping you would come over. I don't know why, I just thought that you would be able to comfort me. When you didn't show up, I pulled out a bottle of my dad's sleeping pills, and downed half the bottle. If you are reading this, I am most likely dead. I hope you can live with yourself, knowing that you could have prevented this by simply showing up on my doorstep. Goodbye, senpai, and tell everyone else that I will miss them. Your, now dead, friend, Momo."_

_Eiji crumpled to the ground, sobbing. Momo was right. If he'd just had some change for the bus, he could have made it in time. But no, he just had to buy that candy bar at the hospital gift shop. It was all his fault, and there was nothing he could do to fix it._

It was then that Eiji had woken up, the sun shining on his face. There were tears streaming from his eyes; he did nothing to stem the flow. However, he didn't want to fulfill the statement he had made the day before; that the incident with Ryoma was slowly destroying the tennis team. He got ready for school with a heavy heart. He didn't let it show, however, because he didn't want to worry his many siblings. Eiji walked out the door, not knowing how he would get through the day.

* * *

Seigaku's data man had been awake through much of the night. He developed a computer program several years ago that calculates probabilities. The results depend on the data input, several variables, and other more obscure factors. He had always used it to simulate tennis matches, figuring out what the opponent's reaction would be to several different shots.

Now, however, he was using it to try to calculate how long Seigaku's super rookie would be unconscious. Inui was missing several key bits of data, so he had to substitute with intuition. This was something he never would have previously done, but he needed to know as much as possible. He was learning how to read every member of the regulars, regardless of the emotions they portrayed. He had mastered reading everyone, except for Tezuka, Ryoma, and Fuji. He was, however, able to detect several emotions on the two stoic members of the team. Fuji, on the other hand, was a complete mystery.

Despite this, Inui had been able to detect a feeling of malice emanating from the tensai. And, he felt that it was directed toward Momoshiro. Although the junior had initiated the incident, the bespectacled senior had no idea why Fuji would be so angry with him. It had been a mistake.

Even though Inui wasn't particularly close to the spiky-haired boy, he didn't want any conflicts creating fissures in the tight knit group that the regulars had become. It was for this reason that he had stayed up until four in the morning, clicking away on a keyboard.

Still, the senior was able to wake up at 6:00, the time at which he had to rise if he wanted to make it to morning practice on time. Yawning, he had gone through his routine, and packed his things for school.

Glancing at the clock, he saw he had another ten minutes before he really needed to leave. Although this wasn't exactly responsible, there could be issues with the bus, he went back upstairs, and continued with his program. If he had a chance, he would rush back to collect the results; it was still calculating, and would be for another three hours.

And so, he strolled out the door, locking it behind him. Sometimes, he was glad his parents traveled abroad so often. His house was very peaceful without them, and he could come and go as he pleased. He walked to the bus stop, going over his homework in his head.

* * *

Kawamura Sushi opened every day at 7:00. Luckily, Taka was gone by this time, and wouldn't feel as though he was underfoot. He did, however, help out with preparing the restaurant.

He was glad he had these tasks to complete. It kept his mind off his two friends in the hospital. He had been upset when he'd seen Ryoma in his comatose condition. When Momoshiro also ended up in the hospital, that had just added to the weight on his shoulders. His mind had dwelled on the subject all night, but he had pushed it aside during his rest.

Finished unloading boxes from his fathers car, he climbed the stairs, two at a time, and quickly put his school uniform on. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to effectively participate in morning practice, but he would go nonetheless.

* * *

Momoshiro had woken up very early in the morning. Too early for the weary doctors. They didn't want to deal with a whining teenager at 4 o'clock in the morning.

Momo kept asking to leave his bed and stretch his legs. Although it was against their better judgment, the nurses on duty had let him get up, but had forbidden him to leave the room.

As soon as he got up, he realized why the medical personnel had wanted him to rest. He felt incredibly dizzy and nauseous. He lost his balance and threw out an arm to break the fall. But, the impact never came. Someone had grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back to a standing position. Momoshiro turned around.

A nurse was standing behind him. A broad smirk was on her face, a smirk that seemed to say, "I told you that you didn't want to get up."

Momoshiro sat back down on his bed, defeated. While he despaired over his situation, a question came to mind. So, being the type of person who asks every question he can think of, he decided to ask it.

"Why did I get so dizzy from something as simple as standing up?" he inquired. The nurse grinned.

"So," she said, "you finally decided to ask. Well, considering the fact that the surgeons removed about two quarts of blood from your system, I'm surprised you're as active as you are. And, to answer your question, your body is currently creating the blood necessary to fill that void. So, if I were you, I'd rest for today." The look on her face told the junior that he shouldn't even try to get up.

"Fine," he grumbled. The tennis player lay back down; it looked like today would be another boring day.

* * *

Kaidoh Kaoru was a very traditional Japanese boy, despite his actions and attitude. Said aspects are only different outside his house, of course. At home, he was a perfect son with a perfect family.

In fact, Kaidoh was actually a very-kindhearted person and an animal lover. He just preferred to keep the true him hidden. It made life so much easier when people were afraid of just your reputation. Thus, he was able to avoid the types of people who would cause problems for him down the road.

And so, Kaidoh woke up in the morning and began his morning rituals. When he was finished with his shower and whatnot, he stepped down the stairs. Strangely enough, his morning was very similar to Tezuka's. The viper-like junior, however, was much more outgoing with his family, and, therefore, had an enjoyable breakfast. As soon as he was finished, his mother took his dishes, wishing him good luck for the day ahead.

Kaidoh walked out the door, without a care in the world. Well, at least not as many as most of his peers.

* * *

The Fuji household was buzzing with activity that morning. The youngest of the three siblings, Yuuta, had decided to visit for the first time in three months. He, of course, had neglected to mention this fact to the others. So, when he arrived on the doorstep, mayhem had ensued. Fuji's sister, Yumiko, was the reigning member of the house; their parents loved nature and landscapes, so they traveled to exotic countries exceedingly often.

Yumiko had worked Fuji to the bone, having him make Yuuta feel at home. Since said brother stayed at St. Rudolf, the house wasn't really a home to him anymore. So, while Fuji rushed around the house, putting his younger brother's stuff in the guest room, Yuuta looked around the house. The tensai also had to fetch anything his brother wanted.

Although most people would have been very disgruntled by these conditions, Fuji was glad to help his brother. Plus, every time he looked at Yuuta, he saw a little bit of Ryoma.

Fuji was a very possessive person when it came to his precious people: Yuuta, Yumiko, and Ryoma.

Unfortunately, for Momoshiro—and possibly anyone else in a 5-mile radius—this possessiveness was a major factor in Fuji's anger. When he'd called the hospital on the night of the incident, the doctors had been convinced that Ryoma would be unconscious for another few days, at the least. It was then that Fuji had realized he would need to exact his violent revenge.

Anyway, the morning had been incredibly busy. Yuuta was going back to school; he was always wary when he was in his brother's vicinity. This meant that the other two siblings would have to help him repack. At the same time, Fuji needed to go to morning practice. Yes, it was voluntary, but tennis would give his mind a break from thinking so much.

When both boys were ready to leave, Yumiko offered to drop them off at their respective schools. Yuuta accepted the offer; St. Rudolf was relatively far away. Fuji, on the other hand, declined. He liked walking to school. The early morning breeze was always a welcome refreshment. Besides, he might get the chance to mess with some of his classmates and friends.

Yes, thought Fuji as he made his way to school, today will be…interesting.

* * *

Tezuka was waiting outside the clubhouse. There were still thirty minutes before practice began. He tapped his foot as he waited for his best friend. He and Oishi had been good friends since grade school, but joining Seigaku's tennis club in their freshman year had cemented the friendship.

As he adjusted his glasses, he observed said boy sprinting toward him. Skidding to a halt, Oishi panted a greeting.

"Good morning, Tezuka. Sorry for being late, mother was stressing over Echizen and wouldn't let me leave."

"Aa," was the captain's curt reply. "Now to get down to the reason I asked you to meet here this early. We've conquered the Nationals, escaped a disaster on a cruise ship, and become the best team in Japan, for the junior high circuit anyway. But now, it's nearing the end of the tennis season, and we'll be graduating in a couple of months."

Oishi nodded, seeing where this was going. "And so, you want to discuss who will take up our roles once we're gone."

"That's part of it," Tezuka replied. "I also want to talk about Echizen's condition. Momoshiro will be out in a day or two so there's no reason to worry about him. Our kouhai, though, is still comatose. Although, I contacted the Echizens and it appears that his brainwave activity levels have skyrocketed. Anyway, I wanted to discuss what we should do if he either doesn't wake up, or has brain damage that will prevent him from ever playing tennis again. I know this sounds selfish, but, seriously, without a pillar of support, buildings will always collapse," he finished cryptically.

"Tezuka," Oishi groaned, "do we really have to talk about this now?"

"Unfortunately, yes," the bespectacled brunette answered. "Without Echizen, our team will never again reach the heights it has seen this year. I want this team to flourish after we leave."

"Fine…" the co-captain mumbled. "I think the best course of action would be to have Momo or Kaidoh train someone from next year's recruits. Hopefully, Seigaku will be blessed with its third super rookie. And, if that's the case, we won't have to worry about the team's fate."

"True," Tezuka replied, thinking. "Okay, now that that's out of the way, the only task is to pick the next captain and co-captain."

"I was thinking that Kaidoh should be captain, with Momo as co-captain," Oishi said.

"Really?" Tezuka replied, honestly surprised. "I was thinking the other way around."

"Well," the other boy began, "even though Momo is good at talking, he doesn't really think before he acts. Kaidoh is clearly intelligent, if his grades are anything to go by."

"Good point," Tezuka conceded. "Well, let's ask Ryuuzaki-sensei about this. Then, we can go along with whatever she decides." Oishi agreed, and they walked into the clubroom. Others arrived as they began to change into their tennis clothes.

* * *

As the regulars—the ones not in the hospital—gathered at the tennis courts, the same thoughts were going through their heads. They were along the lines of, "You better wake up soon, Echizen, or something's going to happen."

* * *

**AN:** Ooooh, I'm so mean. Just giving you guys a taste of what's to come. What's this "experiment"? That's for me to know, and for you to find out as the story progresses. So, yeah, review if you want to. See ya guys in the next chapter!


	5. Brewing Storm

**AN:** Hey you guys, I think I'll be able to update more consistently now. So, yeah, thanks for the reviews. Heehee, yes it was a bit of a cliffhanger, for the Ryoma story anyway. In this chapter, you'll see what possessiveness can do to anyone, even geniuses. Hmmm...I guess that was a hint about what's to come. So if Fuji seems a bit OOC, that's part of the story.

So, yeah, this story is going to start following two main storylines. One is Ryoma-centric and the psychological battle he's fighting. The other is centered around the regulars and how they are reacting. Oh, the concept I came up with for Ryoma's story just kind of appeared, so it might seem a little confusing at first. Ahhhhh! This is the first chapter title with two words. Anyways, thanks, here's chapter 5, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Takeshi Konomi's creations or ideas.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Brewing Storm**

In the darkness of Ryoma's mind, something began to form. As he focused on it, a tennis court appeared. It kept growing until it was a full, tournament-sized court. Then, a stadium popped up around it. Ryoma realized that it was a replica of the tennis stadium they had used for the Nationals semifinal and final matches. And, it was all in his head.

He stepped onto the court, marveling at how real the whole thing seemed. When he thought about it, his racket appeared in his hand. Suddenly, there was a weight in his pocket. Ryoma brought his hand down to find out what it was. He pulled out a tennis ball. The freshman shook his head. The mind can accomplish amazing feats when it feels like it. It was then that he felt another presence in the stadium. He turned.

Entering through the other gate was a figure shrouded in shadow. Thus, Ryoma couldn't distinguish any features that would have helped him identify the person. The figure was roughly his height, but other than that, it could have been anyone. The boy looked at the other's racket, hoping he could learn the silhouette's identity by that. He was disappointed; the racket was also enveloped in darkness.

The mysterious figure stepped onto the court. He—at least Ryoma assumed it was male—got into a stance that told the freshman that he was ready to begin. 'But begin what?' Ryoma wondered. Then it hit him. He was about to engage in the most intense tennis match of his life—and he wouldn't even have to lift a finger.

* * *

'If things keep going the way they are right now,' thought Tezuka, 'I'm going to need more aspirin.' He rubbed his temples as he thought this, something he had been doing a lot, recently. The first thing he had seen after stepping out of the clubhouse was the gleam in Fuji's eyes. It was the type that indicated the tensai was planning something. That was the last thing the captain needed right now: a vindictive Fuji.

So far, though, morning practice had been normal. In fact, Tezuka was about to call it to a close. He walked over to the gate that led into the court area.

"Minna!" he shouted. Being captain had involved learning how to be heard over incredibly loud noises. The team members rushed over. They formed their customary lines: regulars in front, then the third years, followed by the second years, and finally the freshman. Once everyone had settled down, Tezuka continued.

"Everyone behaved admirably this morning. I'm glad to see that you're all improving. Keep up the good work. Dismissed!" There was no need to put up the nets; they had afternoon practice to get through as well.

As the team headed to the lockers, Tezuka pulled Fuji aside.

"Fuji, I need to know what you're planning," the bespectacled senior began.

"I have no idea what you mean," the tensai innocently replied.

"…Fuji, I've known you long enough to recognize that look in your eyes."

"Don't worry, Tezuka, this has nothing to do with you," Fuji said. That's what Tezuka didn't want to hear.

"On the contrary," he said, "if it involves anyone on this tennis team, then it _does_ have to do with me. Remember, as captain, I take responsibility for everything that goes on within the team." The tensai's eyes glinted.

"I repeat," he hissed, "This has nothing to do with you." Tezuka took a step back, surprised by the malice laced in the other boy's voice. He frowned. If Fuji was acting that way, it meant he intended to do something dangerous. Like hurt another teammate, he concluded.

The light bulb of realization appeared above his head and exploded. Momoshiro. That's who Fuji was planning to harm. It all fit. Why hadn't he seen it before? Now, it was his mission and duty to prevent it.

"Fuji," Tezuka barked, "you will not harm Momoshiro." He had the grim satisfaction of seeing the other's eyes flicker; his assumption had hit the mark. "If I find out that you have done or will do anything to the boy, I _will_ remove you from this team. And, I will do everything in my power to keep you from joining any other team in the future."

"Saa…Tezuka, whatever you say. Whatever you say," Fuji said, as he walked away.

* * *

Inui had been listening to the conversation between the two from behind a bush. Every calculation he had made regarding the Fuji-Momoshiro issue had been 100% accurate. And, this worried him. If those had been right, then the chance that the others were correct as well was…85%. Very good odds for a very bad situation.

"Ii data," he mumbled as he headed in to change.

* * *

During class, Fuji inwardly seethed. 'How dare Tezuka interfere' he thought. 'Momo has caused a multitude of problems already. Now, he has committed what I see as a crime. A _crime_.' He wondered if he would have to do something about his goody-goody captain as well.

Fuji's true, sadistic persona had emerged. He wasn't normally so vengeful, but when anyone messed with his precious people, the tensai would lose it. It wasn't the first time that Fuji had ruined someone's life, and it wouldn't be the last.

* * *

Kawamura watched as Fuji shook with fury. He, too, had known the tensai long enough to spot these troublesome signs. The sushi chef-to-be sighed; it looked like he would have to do something. 'Maybe,' he thought dryly, 'someone will hand me a racket.'

The boy was a very docile person by nature. However, with racket in hand, he was invincible—or, at least, everyone was too terrified to test his "burning" persona's limits.

The bell rang, signifying that lunch had begun. The power player gathered his things and prepared for his encounter with Fuji. He was tempted to rush down to the clubhouse and get one of his rackets. But, the notion quickly faded when he remembered that Oishi locked said building before, between, and after practices. Mentally set, he walked up to the tensai.

"Fuji, what's wrong?" Kawamura asked. Fuji turned; his friend could tell the blue-eyed boy was suppressing his rage to talk calmly with him.

"Nothing at all Taka-san," he replied. Even in his timid state, the addressed boy gave Fuji a look that told him there was no point in lying. "Fine," the tensai said, his anger returning, "you want to know why I'm mad? It's because Tezuka thinks he can interfere with my personal life. It has nothing to do with him, so I don't know why he cares so much…" Fuji continued to rant, something Kawamura had never witnessed before.

"As much as I hate to say this," sushi boy said, his voice getting louder by the second, "calm down and shut up!" Fuji stared, no one had ever taken used that kind of tone with him. His eyes narrowed as he glared at Kawamura. But, he decided to be quiet.

"Ah…sorry, but you weren't making any sense," the power player mumbled, chagrined. "So, could you start from the beginning? What are you trying to do, and why is Tezuka interfering?"

"Like I told Tezuka," the effeminate boy replied, his voice barely more than a whisper, "it's none of your business." Kawamura was taken aback. What had gotten into his teammate and friend? Unfortunately, without his racket, the senior didn't have enough confidence to make another outburst.

Fuji strolled away. When the other students in the hallway saw his face, they backed away in fear.

* * *

Momoshiro awoke to the sound of several people entering his room. He sat up slowly, not wanting to repeat his bout of nausea. The junior turned toward the visitors, a puzzled look on his face.

"Ah, Momoshiro-san," one of the doctors stated, a little startled by the boy's sudden consciousness. It happened to be Itoshiko Akina, Ryoma's personal doctor. Momoshiro wondered why the man was here. 'With Echizen in a coma, I guess he's been assigned to new patients for the time being' he thought. The doctor continued.

"Yes, it turns out that your system is running at full force. That being said, you may stay if you are still lightheaded."

"Are you kidding me?" he asked incredulously. "There's no way I'm staying here all day. It's way too boring, and I've got stuff to do." The medical experts smiled. They were glad that they had done their job so well in Momoshiro's case. "By the way," said boy asked, "is Echizen in any condition to receive visitors?" The doctors frowned.

"Yes," replied Itoshiko, "but I'm afraid he'll still be unconscious for another several days." He had avoided using the word comatose because it was hard to explain why a comatose patient's brain was functioning as fast as that of a fully active person.

Slightly disappointed by this news, Momoshiro indicated that the medical staff should exit the room; he wasn't too comfortable with the idea of changing around other people.

With that done, he rushed over to Ryoma's room. It looked exactly the same as it had the first time he'd been there. Not that it was a surprise, it had been less that 24 hours since the incident. The junior did notice the flowers left by Fuji. He walked over, grabbed the vase, and shuffled over to the sink to change the water. When he was finished with that, he place the flowers back where he'd found them. Sighing he looked at his best friend.

Ryoma looked much better than before, the bluish tinges in his lips and extremities almost completely gone. He was still pale, but that was natural for a hospital patient. Momoshiro looked at the monitors. The heartbeat looked good, it had risen slightly from that night. When he looked at the brainwave activity levels, he understood why so many doctors had been mumbling to themselves. By that number alone, it was amazing that the freshman was still unconscious.

Sighing, Momoshiro left the room. He checked his watch, and it read 2:00 p.m. If he hurried, he might be able to show up at the end of afternoon practice. And so, with this encouraging thought, the spiky-headed boy rushed off.

* * *

The first member at afternoon practice to notice Momoshiro was, ironically, Kaidoh. The viper was actually glad to see his rival, though he would rather die than say so. So, instead of greeting the boy with words, he acknowledged his presence with a nod.

Momoshiro raised an eyebrow. It wasn't everyday that Mamushi acted like he was even there. The trickster was normally ignored by the viper, a situation that worked out well for both boys. The niceties, however, wouldn't last. Just as Momoshiro made it to the tennis courts, he stepped on a ball. Thus, he lost his footing and fell on his butt with a thud. Kaidoh burst out laughing at his embarrassed rival.

"Nice one, idiot," he remarked.

"Shut up, Mamushi!" the other yelled. This shout, of course, attracted quite a bit of attention. When the non-regulars spotted Momoshiro, they made a halfhearted attempt at a cheer.

"Momo-chan is back," Eiji yelled as he rushed over to give his favorite junior a hug. Tezuka felt a small smile creep across his face. Then, reality struck. 'Oh crap' he thought 'Momoshiro's here, and Fuji has most likely found out by now.' He turned, frantically searching for the tensai. Tezuka spotted the sadist; Fuji was currently engaged in a match with Kawamura. 'It was a good choice to match the two' the captain thought. Indeed, it was a good pair, especially this day. Fuji was furious about past events and he was able to release this pent-up frustration through tennis. Kawamura was easily able to handle the most powerful shots made by the tensai.

Tezuka groaned as he watched the match draw to a close; Fuji pulled off Hecatoncheires no Monban, his seventh counter that was almost impossible to return by the best of players, let alone a junior high power player. In an almost mocking way, although it seemed to be his signature, he turned after hitting the shot, not bothering to watch his opponent's failed attempt at returning it. It was then that Fuji saw Momoshiro.

"Damn," Tezuka growled. He didn't need this sort of behavior right now. And, he was faced with a dilemma. If he took Fuji off the team now, the boy would have no inhibitions regarding his revenge. In other words, he would do whatever it was he'd planned, without having to worry about anything.

Fuji and Tezuka looked at each other, gazes locked. The tensai's smirk said, "You know what I'm going to do Tezuka, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." The problem was, the blue-eyed boy was right. Tezuka racked his brains for possibilities; nothing came up. For the first time, Tezuka, an honor student, was unable to provide the answer to a problem. And, this was the most critical problem he had ever faced.

* * *

Salvation came in a form Tezuka would never have expected. Just when it seemed that Fuji was going to initiate his plan for revenge, a car pulled up to the school. This garnered the attention of the whole team. It was very rare for the school to receive visitors at this time (3:30 p.m.). A woman stepped out; a woman that only the regulars recognized.

"Echizen-san!" called Eiji. He waved as said woman turned to pick out the boy who had addressed her.

"Eiji-kun!" she replied, a smile spreading across her face. The hyperactive acrobat had made quite an impression on her the night before. She hurried over to the courts. Before she could call the regulars over, Tezuka turned to them.

"Fuji! Kaidoh! You two will begin a match now in Court C," he ordered. Sometimes, he loved the perks of being captain. Court C was the farthest court from the parking lot, making it very difficult for the tensai to try anything. Fuji glared daggers at the bespectacled boy, but couldn't do anything about it, what the captain says goes.

It was just in time, as well. As soon as she got close enough, Echizen Rinko called the regulars over to her. Since they were in a match, Fuji and Kaidoh couldn't go. The viper knew exactly why Tezuka had done what he had; he was able to feel Fuji's sadistic aura. The only person the tensai could be angry with, Kaidoh concluded, was Momoshiro. It was obvious that Tezuka was trying to keep the two apart, and it was a decision the junior couldn't agree with more.

'Then again' Kaidoh thought 'I'm now at the receiving end of Fuji's anger.' That was not exactly a desirable position. Resigned to his fate, the viper assumed the stance that had gained him his nickname, and prepared to hold back the fire of hell.

* * *

Echizen Rinko walked up to the fence by the tennis courts. Only six regulars were available to meet her, but that was more than she needed. Spotting Momoshiro, who she knew from watching her son ride off with the junior in the mornings, she addressed her reason for disrupting their tennis practice.

"Ah, there you are Momoshiro. The hospital called your parents to inform them about your release. They were thrilled, but busy with other more pressing matters." She spoke very professionally, like the lawyer she was. "So, they called me to ask if I could pick you up. I agreed and rushed over to the hospital. When I arrived however, the receptionist told me that she recalled watching hurry out the main doors twenty minutes before I arrived. At this point, I guessed that the best place to start searching for an MIA junior high tennis player was Seigaku. And, I was right."

"Gomenasai, Echizen-san. I didn't mean to cause you any trouble," Momoshiro replied, thoroughly embarrassed. Echizen Rinko chuckled.

"It's fine. I needed to get out of the house and away from my husband…and his porn," she added. "Oh, and also, call me Rinko-san or just Rinko. Being called Echizen-san makes me feel like my stupid husband. Plus I'm from America, where everyone people address each other by first names. I'm still not used to the formality in Japan." The regulars sweatdropped at the word "porn," but they listened to everything she had to say.

"So Momo-kun,"—said junior blushed slightly at the informality—"are you ready to go?" After checking to make sure he didn't forget anything, he nodded. "Okay good, your parents are probably wondering why I haven't brought you home yet. Then, I have to cook dinner. Then again, I could call ahead to Nanako and tell her to prepare the meal. That way, I can go home to an already cooked dinner. Yeah, that would be good." She began to ramble on about how amazing her dinner would be. Again, the tennis players sweatdropped.

* * *

Tezuka sighed; he'd been able to avoid a crisis today. But, he didn't think he would be able to keep this up much longer. He flopped onto his bed again; it was becoming a habit. Tonight, the captain decided to take his catchphrase seriously. He couldn't afford to get careless. Not unless he wanted everything he'd strived for destroyed.

* * *

**AN:** I don't know, I liked it, but I guess I'm just a _bit_ biased. I'm an intuitive writer. In other words, I write whatever pops into my head. I haven't planned a single aspect of this story, so it might sound kind of weird sometimes. If there are any inconsistencies in the storylines could you guys tell me? It would help the story. So, yeah, review if you want to. I can't force you to, but it would be really cool if you did.


	6. Phase One

**AN:** Yay! This chapter was pretty fun to write. So, yeah, thanks for the support you guys, it helps give me inspiration for this story.

The parts with Ryoma were my favorite parts to write, mostly because it's the first time I've written a tennis match. Oh, and about the part with Tezuka....yeah I kinda couldn't come up with a better idea, so don't make fun of it. You can laugh and giggle, just don't be mean about it. If you have no idea what I'm talking about.....you'll see. XD So, yeah, here's chapter 6, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters/concepts/everything. it's all owned by Takeshi Konomi. well, i guess i have this story, which is pretty cool, but I don't get any money/anything from it...but that's why it's fanfiction.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Phase One**

Ryoma stared at the mysterious form on the other side of the net. He wasn't sure how long he'd been watching; time had no meaning in the depths of one's psyche. The boy sighed, his observations had been fruitless. His eyes flicked back to the ball in his hand.

"Well," he muttered, "I guess there's only one thing to do." He bounced the ball on the ground several times, and then strengthened his grip on it. He tossed the neon orb into the air with his left hand, the racket being in his right. He drew the racket back, jumped slightly and slammed the ball across the court. The Twist Serve: Ryoma's signature move.

The result was not one he expected. As Ryoma dashed toward the net, the ball sped past his left ear. It smashed into the court before embedding itself in the wall behind him. Startled, the freshman walked back to the service line. Instinctively, he reached into his pocket. It was a surprise when he actually felt another tennis ball in there.

"That's convenient," Ryoma remarked. "It looks like I won't have to go fetch the balls after each point." He looked back at his opponent. "If the Twist won't work, I'll just have to try something else," he said, smirking. His eyes were aflame with enthusiasm. It had been a while since he'd had a challenge. This thought, though, took him back to the ideas that had brought him into this situation.

"This is your own mind's creation," he growled. "If you can't even beat an illusion, then you're definitely worthless." Part of him tried to fight back, knowing that anger wouldn't solve anything. But, it was currently a futile effort to try to convince Ryoma otherwise. And, with that, he threw the ball up in the air, tossed the racket to his left hand, and served with the strength that had pulled him through the Nationals. It flew toward the silhouette on the other side of the court…only to be returned just as Ryoma's feet touched the ground. The scoreboard, which had been created along with the rest of the stadium, displayed the score: 0-30.

The capped boy grimaced; this wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

Eiji woke up as the sun shone on his face. Yawning, he grinned; life seemed so much better today. The day before, he'd been moody and unresponsive. However, by the time afternoon practice had come around, he'd come to grips with reality.

The acrobat had been able to rid his mind of the doubt and guilt created by the chaotic events of two days ago. For one, he realized that Ryoma's condition was in no way the fault of Eiji or any of the other regulars, with the possible exception of the expectations placed upon him by Tezuka. The redhead, though, knew that the captain had done so in order to push Ryoma to surpass his limitations. The freshman's emotional issues, Eiji realized, were completely self-induced, meaning he would have to sort them out on his own.

In the case of Momoshiro, Eiji no longer had any guilt about the situation. There was no way in hell that his friend would blame him for any physical, emotional, or mental crises the junior was suffering from. That was not to say that Momoshiro was, in fact, still suffering. It seemed that he, too, had solved his problems.

Eiji stepped out of his room and strolled over to the bathroom. The door was lock; one of his siblings was currently using it. The senior sighed; just another day at the Kikumaru household.

* * *

Tezuka Kunimitsu was walking to school with his best friend, Oishi Shuichiro. The two had finished discussing their visit to the hospital yesterday. It had been pretty short. Ryoma's condition was stable, but he was still unconscious. He was now being fed through tubes; the vital nutrients being injected into his bloodstream.

The regulars had left after about ten minutes. After all, what could they do in their comatose friend's hospital room? Fuji, however, had stayed behind for several minutes; something that Tezuka had clearly noticed.

The captain had been immensely glad when, after calling the junior, Momoshiro had elected not to go with the others. That would have created a conflict that Tezuka was avoiding at all costs. The last thing he wanted was for their tight-knit group to fall apart.

"Tezuka, are you listening?" Oishi's voice pulled the captain from his musings.

"Ah, sorry Oishi. What were you saying?" the co-captain sighed in exasperation.

"I wanted to know how your meeting with Ryuuzaki-sensei went," he explained. Oishi had not been able to go visit the coach with Tezuka. The captain had finished his work in History, and had been allowed to leave. His friend, however, was not as great a student, and, therefore, was too busy studying.

"Oh," Tezuka replied, "it went pretty well. She liked your suggestion about next year's captain and co-captain. Other than that, it was a normal meeting. I had some paperwork to fill out about the team, and then I left."

"Did she ask about Echizen?" Oishi asked hesitantly.

"Aa…I gave her an overview of it. There's no real point in giving her details."

They walked in amicable silence as they approached Seigaku. That was one of the greatest things about friendship. As long as you're with a friend, you can be happy, even without any interaction.

* * *

Fuji Syuusuke was in an extremely bad mood. He had been unable to exact his revenge the day before. All because of a certain captain. The tensai growled in frustration. However, he was prepared for any eventuality this morning. He'd stayed up for most of the night, planning every move he would make at morning practice.

Even if he didn't pull if off this morning, he had an entire day of school in which to try. Fuji grinned; a maniacal, sadistic grin.

* * *

Inui was nervous. That was a very bad sign, considering the teen was usually the one who created nerve-wracking situations. Situations that usually involved multicolored, vomit-inducing juices. But that was beside the point. The bespectacled boy was nervous, and the only one ever recorded with that ability was Fuji.

The day before, Inui had rushed to his house after afternoon practice. His program had finished calculating the probable time of Ryoma's return to consciousness. The result made him feel as though he'd chugged a gallon of one of his juices: a week.

That meant the regulars would have to divert a possible holocaust for another seven days.

It was this bit of news that had kept Inui up all night. He tried to hypothesize what Fuji would try to do to Momoshiro. He looked through every minute detail he'd ever been able to collect about the tensai. It was a dismally small collection of notes. But, it couldn't hurt to try.

By the time he had come up with five possible scenarios, the sun had risen. And, he was going to be late for morning practice. That was inconsequential; Tezuka had made tennis practice voluntary for the rest of the week. Still, Inui had to report his findings and hypotheses.

He rushed around his house, getting ready for school. Satisfied with his appearance and level of hygiene, Inui ran out of the house. Luckily, his training menu had prepared him for long runs, so he dashed all the way to school. As he ran, he prayed to whatever god was out there that Fuji wouldn't do anything too drastic.

* * *

Momoshiro woke up with a strange feeling of foreboding. He had absolutely no idea that Seigaku's resident tensai wanted his blood. While he was skilled at reading his opponent on a tennis court, he was completely oblivious to such things off the court.

Thus, he shook off the feeling, and followed his normal routine. He stepped out of the bathroom, toweling his hair dry, only to be stopped by his surprised mother.

"Takeshi," she asked, a tinge of hysteria in her voice, "why the hell aren't you at school yet?"

"Why, what time is it?" he asked, puzzled. His mother pointed at a clock. Momoshiro turned his head and jumped in fright. It was 10:30 already. Somehow, he'd overslept. He ran back to his room, got dressed, and checked his alarm clock. It still read 6:00. The junior groaned; it was dead.

Momoshiro flew out of his house, hopped on his bike, and sped toward school. Weaving through traffic, the boy was yelled at several times by angry drivers. He arrived at school, only to be scolded by his teachers. Momoshiro sighed; sometimes he wondered why he even bothered.

* * *

Afternoon practice started off extraordinarily well. That, unfortunately for one unlucky captain of Seigaku, lasted for all of ten minutes. It then escalated into a war zone.

Tezuka was glad about one thing, though: this mayhem had nothing to do with Fuji.

Okay, maybe it had something to do with the tensai. It appeared that phase one of Fuji's plan had been initiated. At the beginning of practice, Momoshiro had been bewildered to find a note in his locker. Eiji had teased the boy relentlessly about it. The junior read the note, paling considerably. The teen glanced over at Fuji, who looked back, his trademark smile plastered on his face. Momoshiro then did something he would never have normally done. He walked up to Tezuka, muttered an apology, and pantsed the captain.

Everyone stared, shuddering under the glare that radiated from Tezuka's eyes. The team waited with bated breath to hear the punishment.

"Momoshiro," the captain said, all emotions removed from his voice, "500 laps." He pulled his pants back up and walked away. The junior stared, but had expected something along those lines.

The tennis team members filed out of the clubhouse, more silent than they had ever been in their lives. Fuji stayed behind for a second. Placing his hand on his kouhai's shoulder, he whispered, "I honestly didn't think you'd go through with it. Good job." Giggling with glee, Fuji strolled out the door.

Thinking back on the moment, Tezuka realized that this was Fuji's way at indirectly attacking both of his enemies.

Now, the reason why the place was currently so active was simple: Tezuka was assigning laps to anyone who made a single comment about the incident. First ten laps, then 25, and then it doubled from there. This, in turn, caused the friends of the unfortunate victims to laugh at them. The adolescents, meaning they were quick to anger, started fighting. These fights then escalated into one gigantic brawl.

Tezuka sighed, and pulled Momoshiro to the side. The junior immediately started to apologize, but was cut off by his captain.

"Momoshiro, I forgive you for your actions in the clubhouse. I assume Fuji blackmailed or threatened you into doing so?" The other's nod confirmed his suspicion. "I'm now going to tell you why he's doing this. Fuji believes that Echizen's current condition is entirely your fault." Before the junior could protest, he continued. "I know it's not, don't worry. Anyway, Fuji has become very possessive toward Echizen, and wants revenge for what you did. His note that he left you is most likely only the first of many things he will try. He picked me as the victim, of course, because I tried to interfere in his plans. So, you may leave practice today, if you wish."

Humbled by his captain's words, Momoshiro whispered his thanks and walked off, hoping to avoid further confrontation with Fuji. Tezuka watched him go with sorrow. He didn't want any of his teammates to be the victim of the sadistic tensai, especially one who would help carry the team next year.

He exhaled slowly. Turning to the mass of fighting individuals, he cleared his throat. He would need the full ability of his voice to stop this.

"Minna!" he roared, his voice cutting through the clutter like a hot knife through butter. Everyone froze immediately. If Tezuka had been in a more lighthearted mood, he would have chuckled. Some were lying on the ground, others were in the middle of choking smaller individuals, while more were standing still, half way through a punch. Shaking his head, Tezuka continued. "100 laps for everyone. Now!" he added when they were slow to react.

The team sprinted off to begin their laps, not wanting to further annoy their captain. Tezuka massaged his temples; he was too young for this.

* * *

He may have been angry earlier, but Fuji was now in high spirits. Part one of his plan had gone off without a hitch. The laps had been worth it. First, Momoshiro's reaction was classic. It was the kind you always see in movies. Then, Tezuka's face had been priceless. To any other person, the captain had seemed as stoic as ever. But Fuji had been able to detect every single emotion flitting across his face. Embarrassment, anger, and resignation, just to name a few. The tensai was glad he'd had the foresight to bring his camera.

The best part was that Tezuka could do nothing about it. The blackmail had included the possibility of Momoshiro ratting him out. Fuji removed the evidence, namely the note, as soon as the junior left the clubhouse.

Fuji cackled with delight. He loved being a sadistic genius. His intelligence enabled him to come up with foolproof plans, and his sadistic nature thrived on the painful reactions of his victims. He was, of course, in his room with his door securely locked. It wouldn't do to have everyone see this side of him.

"So Tezuka," he chuckled, "what are you going to do now?"

* * *

The nurse checked the monitors. Everything was just as it had been five hours ago.

She didn't really have to be there. The doctors had set up an alarm that would go off if Ryoma's vital signs altered significantly. They only sent the nurses as a way to double-check on their patient.

The medical team had received word from Inui regarding the suspected amount of time until Ryoma's return. Although it damaged their ego to take advice from a junior high student, they admitted that it was information they sorely needed.

"So," the nurse muttered as she left the room, "seven days, huh? I wonder what will happen then."

* * *

Ryoma gritted his teeth. He couldn't afford to let anger take over if he wanted to win this match. Once again, he peered across the court at his opponent. The mysterious figure was still shrouded in darkness, with no distinguishing features.

It all seemed surreal to the thirteen year old boy. He was having an intense tennis match, which, by itself, was not out of the ordinary. His father, Nanjiroh, could provide a similar experience, when he felt like playing seriously. However, the factor that differed this match from any previous one was that it was going on inside his head.

"So, I've already lost two points. But, this is just the beginning," Ryoma said. He decided to try one of his older, less used moves. Tossing his racket back to his right hand, he pulled out another tennis ball. He tossed it in the air, adjusted his grip, and hit it. The ball still curved toward the figure's face, but at a very different angle.

"Twist Serve Tornado," Ryoma stated. Normally, he wouldn't call out the name of the move as he used it. But, this time he had no cheering section, so the freshmen trio wasn't there to scream them out.

This time, the ball didn't return quite as quickly. Ryoma dashed to the net, preferring net play over playing the baseline. With a backhand, he smashed the ball toward the other side of the court. The figure instantly appeared in the path of the ball. It dragged its racket along the ground before performing a lob.

"Moon Volley?" he wondered. Ryoma ran to the back of the court, and hit a between-the-legs shot. The ball soared over the net, where his opponent was waiting for it. The shadow slammed the ball toward the opposite corner. Grunting, Ryoma took advantage of his split-step to make it in time. But, he missed the sweet spot, causing the slice to turn into a lob.

"Damn," he muttered, preparing for a smash. This time, the silhouette jumped. It performed a replica of Momoshiro's Dunk Smash. Without thinking, Ryoma activated Muga no Kyouchi, the State of Self-actualization. He turned, crossed his arms with his hands near his shoulders, and quickly spread them back out to return it. Higuma Otoshi, the Bear Drop. The ball flew over the figure's head, landing at the back of the court with a light _pok_.

Ryoma looked at the scoreboard again: 15-30. He smirked; he'd finally gotten a point.

Deactivating Muga no Kyouchi, the boy returned to the service line. Ryoma didn't want to use the same trick twice, so he switched his racket hand. He bounced the ball a few times to focus his thoughts, and then tossed it up. Observing that his opponent was toward the center line, he served the ball into the corner. By the time the figure reached the ball, Ryoma was in position. The return went to his left, so he jumped and returned it.

A rally continued for a while until Ryoma saw an opening. The freshman had been training hard and was now able to properly use the move he was about to pull off. He positioned himself at the net, and waited for the return. The head of Ryoma's racket dropped 3.2 mm. He then performed one of Tezuka's trump cards: Zero-Shiki Drop Shot. The ball landed on the other side of the court, and rolled backwards, stopping as it gently touched the net.

The scoreboard now read: 30-30. Ryoma smirked; it was time to take control. With his signature smirk and glare, he pointed his racket at his mysterious opponent and said, "Mada mada dane."

* * *

**AN: **So, yeah, I need help with something. I'm trying to decide whether or not to bring in characters from schools other than Seigaku (Atobe, Sanada, etc.). Tell me what you guys think. PM me or review, either way works for me. But, I need some sort of feedback before I can fully write the next chapter. So, yeah, thanks again you guys. See ya next chapter!


	7. Newcomers

**AN:** Hey, you guys! Unfortunately, there was very little feedback regarding my little quandary (see chapter 6 for details). However, two people addressed my dilemma. They both wanted characters from the other schools, either physically or by including their moves. Therefore, I'm going to add several characters to the story. Thanks you two, and you know who you are.(if you want a shout out, just ask) Anyway, if you want a particular character in the story tell me in a review. I'll try my hardest to add them, even if it's a small role; some characters fit in this story better than others.

This chapter was really fun to write, so it came to me quickly and naturally. It's also the longest. It was longer than the any other chapter, even without the Author's Note. So, yeah, thanks, and here's chapter 7, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Prince of Tennis, but this story is mine, ALL MINE BWAHAHAHA!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Newcomers**

On his way home, Momoshiro decided to make a quick detour. Instead of the usual left turn at the intersection, he steered his bike right, toward the hospital.

He knew that, in all likelihood, Ryoma would not wake for another week, but Momoshiro wanted to pay his kouhai a visit. The doctors were some of the best in Japan, but, being Ryoma's best friend, his paranoia forced him to check on his buddy. 'It's a best friend thing,' the spiky-headed junior decided as he furiously peddled toward the medical institution.

* * *

Ryoma hit an intense topspin, hoping it would have some effect on his opponent's return. His eyes widened, and he hopped backward. This time, he tried a backhanded slice. Ryoma growled as, yet again, the ball was returned in the same manner.

The freshman was extremely frustrated. After those first two points, the two players had gone into a rally for every point. No matter what he did, Ryoma had no way to change the flow of the match. And, the score was still 30-30 in the first game.

Putting his split-step to good use, he dashed to the left to pound the ball into the opposite corner. The shadow was there in an instant to return the favor; the ball flew toward the right corner. It was in moments like this that Ryoma was glad he was ambidextrous. Combined with his split-step, the boy's Nitouryuu was his saving grace. He tossed the racket to his right hand while sprinting to the other side of the court. Ryoma made it just in time to ensure that the ball hit the racket's sweet spot.

Luck was on the freshman's side. The ball slammed into the net, flying upward. It landed on top of the net, before rolling onto the silhouette's side. Ryoma breathed a sigh of relief; that had been a little too close for comfort.

He got back to his feet, returned to the line, and took the racket with his left hand; it had more power and more control. Ryoma tossed the ball up, and hit a slice serve. Fortunately for the capped boy, this change affected his opponent's return. The ball returned relatively slowly, giving him the chance he'd been waiting for. Ryoma's return went low and deep, forcing the mysterious figure to bend down and lob the ball.

"Finally," he smirked. "I get to use another signature move." Ryoma jumped and coiled his muscles. In midair, he quickly released the tension, spinning to perform a smash. The ball pounded into the ground, and sped past the shadowy opponent. "Cyclone Smash," Ryoma intoned, grinning.

The score was now in his favor. One game to love, with Echizen Ryoma in the lead.

* * *

Tezuka decided that he would try to find a passive way to solve his current problem; a problem by the name of Fuji Syuusuke.

The first place he went to was the library. It had never failed him before, so why should it now? The bespectacled captain had been there so many times that he could navigate the confusing labyrinth of bookshelves almost as well as the librarians. Of course, it helped to know where to begin. Tezuka came up with several possible topics; most of which dealt with psychology. The topics included, but were not limited to: obsession, addiction, hypnosis, sadism, and many topics related to incentives. Basically, he was searching for anything that described the tensai and his possessive issues.

And so, he began a long and, ultimately, fruitless search through the psychological books. Tezuka sighed, it didn't help that most of the volumes had been written by professors and other such experts. One of the books had used such an extensive vocabulary that Tezuka hadn't even been able to understand the introduction, and he was an honor student!

By this time, the sun had disappeared over the horizon. Tezuka glanced at his watch, and did a double-take. It was already 7:00 p.m. At that moment, one of the librarians walked up to him. She said something about closing times, but Tezuka was too busy worrying to comprehend what the woman was saying. He needed to find a way to defuse the ticking time bomb that was Fuji's plan. Also, living in a very traditional family, Tezuka was expected home at exactly 7:30, if not earlier. The punishment was usually severe, and the stressed captain didn't need anything else on his plate at the moment.

In fact, he was so preoccupied with his musings that he didn't notice the librarian literally dragging him out of the library. Muttering something about ungrateful teenagers, the lady stomped back inside to close up for the day.

Tezuka snapped out of his trance and rushed to the bus stop. Hopefully, the bus would be on time; it seemed to always be late when you needed it to be on time. Luckily for the teen, it was. Even more fortunate was the fact that there was very little traffic; highly unusual for the time of day, but Tezuka wasn't about to complain.

He disembarked from the bus at 7:25. His house was about a ten-minute walk away from his current position. If he sprinted, Tezuka might be able to make it in time. There was no better time to put his training schedule to work. The brunette was actually able to make it in three minutes. This gave him time to regain his composure, resettle his clothes, and catch his breath. Tezuka stepped into his house just in time.

However, throughout the whole adventure of returning home, Tezuka's mind had been on a single thought. The library had failed him. The normally stoic boy groaned; he would have to do the unthinkable: call Atobe.

* * *

Momoshiro looked down at his comatose best friend. Even though he'd realized why and how everything happened, the junior still felt a tremendous amount of guilt. Although Ryoma had virtually created the coma himself, Momoshiro was the one who gave him the chance. He'd also managed to break the younger boy's jaw; although this was something he was trying to ignore. Actually, the all of the regulars had overlooked one of the biggest differenced regarding the super rookie.

The entire bottom half of Ryoma's face was covered in bandages and support for the newly aligned bones. Momoshiro wondered at the fact that they had ignored such an obvious thing. 'Well,' he considered, 'it camouflages well with the bed and sheets, so I guess, since we were all shocked and panicking, we didn't look close enough to notice.'

"I guess that's just one more thing to feel guilty about," he grumbled.

"Honestly, Momoshiro-san, you shouldn't feel guilty at all about the situation."

The spiky-headed boy turned to face the newcomer. It was Itoshiko Akina. When Momoshiro remained puzzled, Itoshiko continued.

"First of all, it appears that Echizen-san's calcium intake has been rather low for quite some time. This weakened his bone structure, particularly around the neck and skull." Momoshiro frowned, Ryoma had taken a liking to the bottles of milk he was supposed to drink. If he had stopped drinking them, that was a bad sign.

"Second," the doctor said, "we have concluded that his coma is entirely self-induced. In other words, what you did has no bearing on Echizen-san's condition. We also finished our blood-tests, and can announce that he has no medical disorders. Therefore, almost all of this," he stated, gesturing toward the collection of monitors, and other medical paraphernalia, "is Echizen-san's doing."

Momoshiro didn't want to believe it, but at the same time, Itoshiko's explanation made an incredible amount of sense. There was no way that a healthy, active teen should go into a coma after a single punch. Though this took away part of the burden that currently weighed the normally happy-go-lucky junior down, it added more to the pile. Momoshiro didn't want to think that his best friend might have suicidal intentions. He didn't want to think that the frail boy in the bed had no problem with leaving his friends behind.

The same part of his mind was able to pull Momoshiro away from following that road toward anger and the possibility of losing a friend. Ryoma wasn't dead yet, which showed that he wasn't purely suicidal. His condition has actually improved, showing—hopefully—that the freshman wasn't ready to leave his friends and family.

Still pondering the possibilities, Momoshiro bowed to the doctor. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Itoshiko-san." And, with that, he left the hospital, hoping against hope that Ryoma would wake up sooner than later. Fuji would be placated, and Momoshiro wanted to have a talk with his kouhai.

* * *

Atobe Keigo was not your average junior high student. Well, when you consider it, none of the tennis players in the junior high circuit were. But, even compared to the others, Atobe was anything but ordinary.

For one, he was heir to the largest and most powerful company and family in all of Japan. They were even high up in worldwide statistics. The Atobe family was extraordinarily wealthy, and owned several mansions.

This wealth was what, undoubtedly, brought the young Atobe to Hyoutei Gakuen; the most exclusive private school in Tokyo, and most likely, Japan.

However, it wasn't his stacks of cash that took Atobe to the top of the Hyoutei tennis team; it was his skill. He was one of the best in the circuit. The young heir had even managed to defeat Tezuka, although the brunette had been critically injured at the time. Still, Atobe was at the top of the pack with Tezuka, Ryoma, Sanada Genichirou, and Yukimura Seiichi. The last two attended Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku, a school in the Kanagawa prefecture, outside of Tokyo.

Right now, none of that mattered. The teen had an enormous ego, one that could match or even surpass Ryoma's. This ego was the major contributing factor when it came to Atobe's vanity. Said teen was currently adjusting his 'perfect' naturally gray hair. He was so focused on making it look right that he jumped in fright when his cell phone rang.

"Atobe here," he said, his voice becoming very professional. Atobe had neglected to look at the caller ID, so he had to make sure he wouldn't offend any CEO's or other high-ranking business men. Suffice it to say he was shocked when he heard Tezuka on the line.

"Atobe, I'm calling about something incredibly important. I don't have time for your egotistic flairs or any other nonsense for that matter," Tezuka began.

"Tezuka, if you want my help, you'll need to be more polite than that."

"Fine. Anyway, I need you to gather some information for me," Seigaku's captain replied.

"Oh? Regarding what?" Atobe was intensely curious at this point. After all, it wasn't everyday that Tezuka, his rival, called.

"I need psychological information. The situation over at Seigaku is rather tense. In short, Fuji is planning to exact his revenge on my teammate and I."

"Really? Why would he be so angry?" This was getting more interesting by the moment. Atobe knew that every single member of Seigaku's tennis team greatly respected their captain, even the resident tensai.

Tezuka sighed. "Okay, I guess I'll have to explain the entire situation. Well, it all started several days ago. Apparently, Echizen was a bit off that day. At the end of afternoon practice that day, Momoshiro and Kaidoh—I'm sure you know who they are—began fighting. This one was especially violent for some reason, and Momoshiro tried to punch his rival. Kaidoh, however, was too quick and managed to dodge the blow. This would have been fine if Echizen wasn't spaced out in the path of the fist.

He was slugged in the face, which broke his jaw, knocked him unconscious, and blasted him backward. We, of course, called for an ambulance immediately. At the hospital, we learned that Echizen had gone into a coma. It was apparently self-induced, according to Momoshiro, who called me a few minutes ago.

This, ultimately, resulted in a rather tragic event. Momoshiro, who had felt extremely guilty for hurting his friend so badly, overdosed on sleeping pills. Luckily, Kikumaru was able to call for an ambulance in time. The junior was fine after about a day, and rejoined us at school."

Atobe had listened to the entire story without once making a comment. Now, however, he said something. "That's great information Tezuka, but what does that have to do with Fuji?" He heard another sigh.

"As you may know, Fuji is very possessive by nature. He had come to see Echizen as a surrogate younger brother, since Fuji Yuuta doesn't live with him anymore. So, Echizen is now one of his 'precious people,' meaning Fuji will do whatever it takes to keep them safe. The fact that Momoshiro harmed him angered the tensai, which explains why he wants revenge. The reason I am involved in all this is that, as captain, I take my responsibilities very seriously. When I learned that Fuji was plotting against Momoshiro, I stepped in and tried to interfere. This made Fuji furious, so now I'm on his list as well."

Tezuka could tell Atobe was using his Insight when the teen replied. "So, now you want information that could help you end this affair passively. Okay, Tezuka, I'll ask a few people. If they don't know what to do, I'll call some professional psychologists."

"Thanks, Atobe. I owe you one."

"That you do, Tezuka. That you do," he replied. And, with that, the line went dead.

Atobe scratched his chin in contemplation. "Well, the first person to ask would be Oshitari." Oshitari Yuushi was Hyoutei's tensai, and was very similar to Fuji in all things mental.

"And the mysteries of life continue," the young heir muttered, walking off to find his friend.

* * *

Eiji was finally having a good time; it was the first since Ryoma's incident. He was able to hang out with his best friend and doubles partner, Oishi.

The pair had been systematically moving through the mall. Eiji played pranks on unsuspecting bystanders, while Oishi looked on with an amused, but embarrassed expression on his face.

It was all fun and games until the cops arrived. Apparently, it was a crime to draw faces on the clothing mannequins and move them around the store. Eiji, personally, thought his fight scene looked quite realistic, but the store's manager had a different opinion. She called the police, who showed up ten minutes later. Of course, the Golden Pair had left long before then.

The consequences of that action were on display for any consumers who bothered to watch.

Eiji was currently being chased by no less than seven police officers. The tennis player, though, was in much better physical condition than the lackadaisical cops. Random people in the hallways, however, were being a nuisance. For some reason, they just stood there and stare at the chase participants with wide eyes. Luckily, Eiji was, as we all know, quite acrobatic.

And so, the teen tensed his leg muscles, and jumped. He performed three front flips before reaching the ceiling. Eiji then pushed off said ceiling with his feet, rushing forward and away from his assailants.

Oishi, on the other hand, was currently waiting outside, while talking on his cell phone. No one knew how the boy had escaped the mall so quickly, and no one bothered to ask. Fortunately, his mother was near the mall, and she was available to pick them up. Just as Oishi's mom pulled up, Eiji dashed out the double doors of the complex behind them.

The two piled into the backseat, and the female Oishi sped off. Yes, she had seen the police, but she honestly didn't care. Sure, she had a very worried personality, but that didn't mean she'd pass up an opportunity to mess with the authorities.

"So, boys," she asked, "what did you do this time?" Eiji was laughing too hard to respond, so Oishi filled her in. By the time he was finished telling their story, all three were laughing as though they didn't have a care in the world.

* * *

The second game of Ryoma's match wasn't going as well as the first. Currently the score was 30-0, with the mysterious figure in the lead. Its first serve was far faster than Ryoma had expected, resulting in a service ace. The second point had gone into another rally. However, the shadow pulled off a move that, to Ryoma, looked suspiciously like the Kikumaru Beam. The shock of seeing his friend's move threw off his game, and he failed to return it.

"At this rate I'll have to seriously use Muga no Kyouchi." Ryoma was in the right box, waiting for the next serve. As soon as the ball was in the air, he kicked off with explosive force, running toward the line. Ryoma hit the ball just as it was bouncing upward, pulling off Super Rising on a service return; not an easy feat by any means.

The return left him slightly shell shocked. Since Super Rising results in a topspin shot, Ryoma's opponent was able to put it to good use. It hit an intense slice, giving the ball an insane amount of backspin. Ryoma jumped to return it, but knew it was too late. As soon as it hit the court, the ball spun along the ground, not bouncing back up.

"Come on," Ryoma groaned, "Tsubame Gaeshi?" The 'Swallow Return,' as it was also known, was one of Fuji's favorite counters to pull off, at least, it was before the Nationals, but that's beside the point.

The scoreboard displayed the bad news: 40-0, with the shadow in the lead.

* * *

Kaidoh and Inui were currently at Kawamura Sushi. Inui had been helping his kouhai perfect his style. The bespectacled boy was probably the closest one to Kaidoh, so he was the only one able to help. That, and the fact that Inui had everything calculated to the ninth decimal place.

Anyway, they were happily munching on the best sushi in Tokyo, and talking to their friend, and chef-to-be Kawamura Takashi. The three were having a great time until the door slid open.

In the doorway stood Sanada Genichirou and Yukimura Seiichi. The former was very tall, wore a cap, and was as stoic as Tezuka. The latter, on the other hand, reminded the three of Fuji; he was taller than the tensai, but was very effeminate. He also had blue hair.

Since Sanada was not exactly verbose, Yukimura did the talking.

"Hello, how are you guys doing?" he asked. The three shrugged, they were barely acquaintances with the top two players of Rikkai. They had played them several times, but the five had never really spoken. Kaidoh knew Yagyuu Hiroshi, the Gentleman, and Inui knew Yanagi Renji, the Professor. Kawamura, on the other hand, didn't really know any of the Rikkai players very well. This lack of familiarity resulted in a very formal meeting.

"Anyway, we aren't here for the food, I'm sorry to say. It smells delicious, though. So, could one of you inform you captain that we will show up at your afternoon practice tomorrow?"

Inui was immediately suspicious. "I will, but why would you want to play on such short notice?"

Yukimura grinned. "To see how our rivals are fairing after the Nationals. I especially want to play Echizen-kun again."

"About that," Inui, who was apparently the spokesperson for the group, replied, "Echizen is currently in the hospital in comatose conditions."

The two visitors gasped. "What? What happened?" Yukimura began to barrage the bespectacled boy with questions; questions that he was unable to answer.

"I'm sorry, I can't answer your queries. You can ask Tezuka tomorrow, though. He seems to know what's going on."

Yukimura nodded. The two boys from Rikkai left the Sushi restaurant with worried looks on their faces. Inui sighed; he really wanted to help the two, but he had lost track of the situation a while ago.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Tezuka's number. When the captain picked up, Inui relayed the message. "Tezuka, Yukimura and Sanada showed up at Kawamura Sushi. They said that they would show up at our practice tomorrow afternoon."

To say that Tezuka was surprised would have been an understatement. "Aa…thanks for informing me Inui, goodbye." He hung up.

The overstressed captain sighed, this was not what needed right now: more complications.

* * *

**AN:** So, yeah, tell me if there are any grammar, character, or plot problems/inconsistencies. I actually read every review I get, so I'll do my best to include suggestions and heed advice. Thanks. See ya next chapter!


	8. The Matches Begin

**AN:** Yay! The next chapter is done. I'm kinda sad, though, that the number of hits for this story keeps dropping with every chapter. It's depressing because it gets more and more fun to write them, so I put more effort into each chapter as I write it. Oh well, that's life. Anyway, thanks to the few (three, when I was writing this) people who review the last chapter. I'm so thankful that some people are actually reading that I'm gonna do a few shoutouts.

I'd like to thank Different Child (Yeah, I thought you'd like the other teams. And, you are SO close with some of your questions. Good Job!), ZephirusPhaedria (Yep, some other schools are going to appear, mostly Rikkai and Hyoutei. You're also asking the right questions. Nice!), and Bankotsu's Sexy Bunny Girl (Not exactly a short name, huh? XD And, thanks!). It's people like you that make this story happen. (Yeah, I know for the first few chapters, I kept putting i don't care if you review. Now, I like them and want more _hint hint_.)

Also, this chapter is definitely the longest so far. I'm going on vacation for a month so I don't know if I'll be able to update at all. If I do, it'll be far less frequently. So, yeah, thanks, and here's chapter 8, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own PoT or pot...Oh well!

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Matches Begin**

Tezuka was close to having a nervous breakdown. And, he was justifiably worried. First of all, he was the captain of the top, and most psychotic, junior high tennis team. There was also the fact that his top player was currently unconscious. This, of course, was the reason for the main cause of Tezuka's problems: Fuji.

The tensai had been less vicious and more cooperative the next morning. However, Tezuka knew that Fuji was planning something. And, he knew that it would, in Fuji's eyes, top the first phase of his revenge. The problem was, Tezuka had no idea when or how he would move. So, yes, this was a very nerve-wracking issue.

Oh yeah, we can't forget about the fact that Seigaku's most formidable rival's regulars were showing up that afternoon, nearly unannounced. No, we can't forget about that now can we?

Coach Ryuuzaki, having been coach for many years, could recognize the symptoms of an overstressed captain. It happened to the best of them. And so, she plodded over to find out why the stoic and mature senior seemed as though he'd collapse under the weight on his shoulders.

"Tezuka! How are you?" she asked. Said boy visibly blanched at the question. He was tempted to reply with a snide remark, but he respected her too much to do so, even if her methods were somewhat…eccentric at times.

"Ryuuzaki-sensei, I'm fine," he lied. Tezuka also knew that the wizened coach saw through said lie. But, he was unwilling to admit that the colossal number of responsibilities he had was getting to him. Instead, he decided to inform her of the upcoming practice with Rikkai. "Ah, I forgot to mention a small detail given to me by Inui."

The old crow raised an eyebrow at the statement; Tezuka always told her about everything that affected the tennis club, as soon as he received the information. The fact that he had forgotten showed just how stressed the boy was. "Oh? What is it?"

"Apparently, Yukimura and Sanada from Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku showed up at Kawamura Sushi. There, they encountered Inui, Kawamura, and Kaidoh. Naturally, since Kawamura hadn't been holding his racket and Kaidoh is a very quiet person, Inui became the spokesperson for the group. The two from Rikkai told Inui that they would show up at our tennis practice this afternoon."

Coach Ryuuzaki gaped at the news. She knew about the whole Echizen issue. Also, she knew enough about Fuji to guess that he could be causing some trouble. But, to add this to Tezuka's plate? No wonder he was about to crack.

She shook her head; this was no time to worry about that. As coach, Ryuuzaki was in charge of this type of meeting, and she had to prepare for their arrival. The paperwork, the supplies, the list went on and on in the old woman's head. Why hadn't she been told about this by the Rikkai coach? This was normally handled several days, or even weeks prior to the meeting. But then a thought struck her.

"Tezuka have you informed the rest of the team." The teen froze. She watched as Tezuka mentally berated himself for his stupidity. It was vital that every player, especially the regulars, were prepared for the visitors. With a slight bow in thanks, the captain rushed off to do just that.

Well, maybe he would play a quick match first to keep his mind off the stressful situation.

* * *

Fuji was suspicious. He was beginning to suspect that many of the regulars were indirectly involved in the conflict between Tezuka, Momoshiro, and him. Oishi would, no doubt, receive information on the situation from Tezuka; they had been best friends for many years. Inui was a very analytical person. Thus, he was very observant, and would easily figure out what was going on, or part of it, at least. Kaidoh was very perceptive, and would, most likely, have detected the many emotions surrounding the three that were directly involved in the issue. So, with Echizen unconscious, there were only two regulars that were not, in some way, against the tensai.

Now, however, Fuji was starting to think that Kawamura, too, was helping his enemies. The power player had started to ask for matches, right before Fuji was able to drag Momoshiro to the court. This effectively prevented the junior from potential harm at practice.

The two seniors had been friends since their freshman year, and had become relatively close. However, Fuji knew that Kawamura, a very gentle person, would try to do what was 'best for the team.' This, of course, meant that he would go against Fuji to, hopefully, prevent his devious scheming.

Currently, the two were in one of those many matches. This time, though, Fuji wanted to end the match in a way that would also affect his teammates. He hit a slice which flew to the other side of the court. Then, it flew straight up, out of anyone's sight.

Kawamura scowled, the ball flew much higher than it would have for Hakugei, the White Whale. He knew exactly what was about to happen, but there was nothing he could do. The only successful way, so far, to return this shot was to hit it before it touched the ground. But, Kawamura didn't have the experience of the eyesight to achieve such a feat. That, however, did not mean he would give up. If there was one thing he had learned in his time at Seigaku it was to: never give up until the very last shot.

He had seconds to figure out why Fuji had used that shot, if there was any particular reason at all. The power player looked around and spotted the most likely cause.

Momoshiro and Tezuka were in the middle of an intense match, although the junior's chances of winning were slim to none. It surprised him that the two would be playing right next to the sadistic senior. 'It's odd,' though Kawamura, 'why would buchou create such a tempting target for Fuji's anger. He would be hitting two birds with one stone by messing with that match.' That was when it hit him; that's exactly what the tensai was about to do.

As the ball rocketed toward the ground, Kawamura ran toward the area that the ball would pass through on its way to its destination. It hit the ground, and bounced over to the power player who…missed it by millimeters.

The neon green orb sped toward the other court. Kawamura watched in awe as the ball slammed into the one in the other match. In one fell swoop, Fuji had managed to win his match, and interrupt his nemeses'. And, when a match is as intense as Tezuka and Momoshiro's had been, an interruption could break a players concentration. In the second-year's case, it had.

Momoshiro looked around in shock. He'd been so focused on the game that everything else had dissolved into nothingness, as it does for most players in his situation. Turning his head toward the other court, he stared at Fuji. Kawamura was staring at the boy as well.

Fuji was currently standing in the position he'd been in after making that final shot, for dramatic purposes of course. The tensai, then, said the name of the amazing shot, in little more than a whisper. "Hakuryuu." The White Dragon.

Kawamura was still amazed. There was no way Fuji could have calculated his shot so it would achieve the effect that it had, was there? The boy was a genius, thus the title of tensai, but it was inconceivable that anyone could intentionally do what he had.

And, of course, he hadn't. But, Fuji wasn't about to tell anyone. He was ecstatic. The tensai had performed the shot for the exact reason that the power player had assumed. It was the only shot Fuji had that would enable him to affect the match to his side, without it being obvious. Fuji had never imagined that he would be so fortunate as to hit the other tennis ball. However, it helped maintain a cloak of mystery and skill that would ease Fuji's later exploits. He trudged off, very pleased with the how the morning had progressed.

Momoshiro picked up the closest tennis ball, and served. Tezuka sighed; it was a normal serve, with less than half the power of the junior's previous serves. The event had clearly broken the boy's concentration. And so, with a resounding 6-1 win, the captain walked off to call the practice to a close.

* * *

"Minna! This was yet another successful morning practice. Good job!" The team members were slightly embarrassed; it wasn't often that Tezuka gave out praise. "Oh! I'd like to tell everyone a very important detail regarding this afternoon's practice." The team, as one, perked their ears in attention.

"Although this is very short notice, we have been informed that the regulars from Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku will be visiting this afternoon." This announcement was greeted by an uproar. The freshmen were freaking out; they wanted to watch the famed team in action, once again. The juniors were yelling nonsensical statements due to their surprise. The seniors' reactions were similar to those of the freshmen. None of this mattered to Tezuka, however. He was more worried about Seigaku's regulars.

Oishi was very close to passing out. His worried side was on overdrive. Eiji was grinning, although his hands were shaking slightly. Tezuka wasn't sure if this was from excitement or anxiety. Kaidoh, Kawamura, and Inui were, understandably, nonchalant. Momoshiro was behaving similarly to Eiji. But, then again, the two had nearly identical personalities when if came to this sort of thing. Fuji's signature smile returned. It wasn't quite clear whether this was a positive or negative reaction, though. Tezuka was hoping that this would distract the tensai from his scheming, but only time would tell.

"Oh, and, regulars, the match pairings will be announced just before each respective match. Dismissed!"

* * *

"Damn it!" cried Ryoma as the ball flew past him. That point ended the second game of the match, and he hadn't won a single point. Now, Ryoma's lead was gone, and the momentum was with the shadow on the other side of the net.

They hadn't changed court after the first game. It made sense—they were under identical conditions, so there was need to switch for the sake of fairness—but it still seemed weird to the prodigy. This, of course, may have hindered his play in the last game.

The score was only 1-1, with a seemingly long match ahead, but Ryoma wanted to change the tempo. He, once again, activated Muga no Kyouchi. A misty, white aura swirled around him with every movement he made. "_It's time to kick it up a notch_," he declared in English; in his current state, Ryoma's mind unconsciously turns to the language of his childhood.

And, with that, he walked to the service line and brought forth yet another tennis ball. Flinging it into the air, he flawlessly executed Inui's Waterfall, a high-speed serve with recorded speeds of over 200 km/h. This flew past his opponent, and bounced into the empty stands behind the shadow.

With a smirk and a quick "You still have lots more to work on," he returned to the line. Ryoma knew that type of thing wouldn't work twice, so he changed tactics. This time, he performed Momoshiro's Bullet Serve, which, although still fast, was much slower than his previous serve. The ball sped over the net to the shadowy figure, who was ready to return it, full force. The drastic change in speed definitely affected the return, but Ryoma still had to be quick to meet it. He sprinted up to the net, and hit a drop shot. This time, though, the ball landed on the top of the net, rolled to the side, and dropped onto his opponent's side of the court. This was Marui Bunta's Tight-rope Walking.

There was a slight distortion in the shadows swirling around Ryoma's opponent, but he paid it no mind. He wanted to maintain the momentum. However, his next serve was ordinary, though it had more speed and power than before.

Ryoma dashed diagonally toward the middle of the net, where he could move either way depending on the return. He hopped right to hit the ball toward the opposite corner. The tennis ball then sped to open court on his left. Ryoma sprinted to the other side, returning it with a topspin shot. This turned into yet another rally. But, Ryoma was taking advantage of the situation. He was hitting shots which alternated between topspins and backspins. He was waiting for the perfect opportunity.

And it appeared. Ryoma slammed the ball down the middle line, and the shadow was there immediately. The return, however, never occurred. The shadow stopped just before swinging.

Ryoma grinned; it was Ibu Shinji's Spot. This was also known as spot paralysis. Returning alternating topspin and backspin shots creates continual contraction of the muscles, leading to momentary paralysis in the arm. Luckily, it even affected a construct of his imagination. Apparently, Ryoma's mind had created the same physics that rule all aspects of real life.

The match was just getting started, but so was Ryoma. And, he'd take everything head-on with the skill that made him Japan's number one tennis player.

* * *

No regular tennis player at Hyoutei Gakuen was what you would call ordinary. They were all rather eccentric in their own ways. Such was the case for one Oshitari Yuushi. His long, blue hair, his unnecessary glasses, and his penchant for reading lead many people to classify him as a dandy.

However, Oshitari would call himself a sophisticated aristocrat. Even with his eccentricities, Oshitari was rather normal compared to some of his rather extreme teammates. Especially his doubles partner, Gakuto. And Atobe, but that's a given.

One Mukahi Gakuto was currently bouncing around Oshitari's room. Why the blue-haired boy even let him in was a mystery. Every time Gakuto showed up, he would go through Oshitari's food, find some sweets, and subsequently became very hyper. This, added to his normally childish and bouncy nature, resulted in damaged items and a massive headache for the bespectacled boy.

Oshitari sighed; he'd agreed to hang out with Gakuto for the day, and he never went back on his word. That, though, was before Atobe called to inform him that he'd be coming over to his room that day. Luckily, Gakuto would probably leave as soon as Atobe arrived; a meeting between Oshitari and Atobe usually involved work. And, to the overactive Gakuto, that was BORING. In the past few weeks, with fewer practices, meaning more free time for the redhead, Oshitari had begun to relish his meetings with his captain.

At that exact moment, the door burst open to reveal said captain, who was holding a stack of freshly printed papers. Gakuto stared at him for a moment, and then giggled. Yes, giggled. That meant the boy was too hyper to think at all. Oshitari was seconds away from smashing his head against his desk, when Atobe said, "Shoo, Gakuto, we have business that take care of that does not involve peasants such as yourself."

Gakuto pouted and stood there for several moments. Oshitari thought, for a second, that the boy might actually disobey his captain's orders. Not that it never happened, but that wasn't the point. Then, the redhead shuffled out the door.

Atobe sighed, and closed the door. He turned to Oshitari. "Ore-sama is sure you're wondering why Ore-sama has asked to meet with you today."

"Not really." The rich boy winced; he'd been hoping to give the genius a lecture for once, but it wasn't to be.

"Oh really? And why not?" Atobe replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Because a piece of paper fell off your stack, and it says 'Psychological Motivations Behind Revenge.'"

"But, you don't know who this is about," the captain retorted, smirking. He'd won this time.

"Actually, you scribbled the name 'Fuji Syuusuke' on that same sheet of paper." Oshitari calmly replied. Atobe sweatdropped, he didn't think it would have been so obvious. "So," the bookworm continued, "I'm guessing that Fuji from Seigaku is plotting to exact his revenge on one or more of his teammates because of some incident that I don't know about. I'm also going to assume that you know what this incident is, and that you're going to tell me. And, I'm guessing the reason behind this meeting is that you want me to try to help figure out how to stop the imminent holocaust from occurring."

Atobe rubbed his temples; sometimes he wondered who exactly had the gift of Insight. "If Ore-sama wasn't so sophisticated, Ore-sama would curse at you in every language Ore-sama knows."

"Atobe, cut it with the 'Ore-sama' crap. It's annoying, pointless, and elongates your sentences."

Atobe twitched. "If Ore-sama didn't need your help so badly, you would have been punched through that wall behind you."

Oshitari sighed, yet again; this was going nowhere. "Fine, Atobe, whatever. Now, could you kindly tell me the situation regarding Fuji and the other Seigaku regulars?"

And so, Atobe began the long-winded explanation of the entire Echizen incident. This, by itself would have taken awhile. But, being Atobe, he had to include a wide variety of exaggerations. These, however, were always caught by Oshitari, so Atobe would have to restart that part of the story. Thus, what should have taken ten to fifteen minutes lasted two and a half hours.

"Now," said Oshitari, "I'm going to get serious. This could easily escalate into a very dangerous situation. Give me several hours to think through this, and come back after dinner."

"Very well, Ore-sama will return in seven hours." And, with that, Atobe walked out the door, closing it behind him.

"Perfect! It should only take me about three hours to come up with some sort of plan, which leaves me with plenty of time for relaxation." Oshitari pulled his laptop over and got to work.

If only he knew that things never go the way they're supposed to when dealing with Seigaku.

* * *

In the Echizen household, a phone rang. It rang again. It rang a third time, and no one answered.

In the background could be heard a perverted little giggle. The phone rang again.

"NANJIROH! Pick up the damn phone before I kick your ass!" screeched a voice that sounded a bit too feminine for those words. Echizen Nanjiroh snorted, hopped up, and ran to the phone before it could ring again.

"Hello, Echizen residence," he said, in a bored monotone.

"Yes, this is Itoshiko Akina, the doctor looking after your son, Echizen Ryoma."

Nanjiroh's eyes widened. Covering the mouthpiece, he yelled, "Rinko, it's the hospital." He heard a thump, followed by several smaller thumps, and finally the slapping of slippers on the floor. Echizen Rinko flew into the room and grabbed the phone.

"Echizen Rinko speaking," she said.

"Echizen-san, I'm sorry to say that your son is still comatose." Rinko deflated. "However, I can say that it is 100% self-induced at this point. When he first arrived, your son was unconscious from the punch that broke his jaw. Now, though, his vital signs indicate that he should be completely conscious. All attempts at waking him, unfortunately, have been unsuccessful."

Rinko's eyes narrowed in thought. "Wait, then that means his consciousness is being determined by his choices."

"Correct," came the reply.

"Then, if he can keep himself comatose, can he also kill himself through the same method?"

There was a brief silence. "Yes. Although we have no idea if it is an intentional 'method' by which he is currently unconscious, your son could, potentially cut all activity in his heart and mind, thereby committing suicide." Itoshiko heard a strangled sound on the other end. "However," he reassured, "the chances are extremely low. If your son's teammate is correct, it has approximately a 1% chance of occurring."

Rinko was close to tears; why did her son want to stay comatose? Was it something she did or said? She managed to make a small "thanks" in reply before hanging up. Sitting down, she burst into tears. Nanjiroh stepped over to her and pulled her into a tight hug. He rubbed her back and muttered soothing nonsensical sounds as she sobbed into his shoulder.

The ex-pro sighed; why did this have to happen to his family?

* * *

Tezuka missed a step as he hurried to the clubhouse. It was time for afternoon practice, and the Rikkai regulars were already there. He hurried over to Yukimura.

"Hey! How are you guys?" Tezuka asked, trying to be a respectable host. He received a few noncommittal shrugs, and a belated "fine." The bespectacled captain frowned slightly. Turning to Yukimura, he asked, "Have you guys been waiting long?"

The blue-haired captain chuckled. "Oh, no. We've been here for five minutes, tops. These guys are just impatient."

"Okay. If you could wait for another ten minutes, I'll organize my team, and have the courts prepared."

"Sure," came the bright reply.

Tezuka hurried off to do so.

Five minutes later, he was standing in front of his team. "Minna! Today we have the pleasure of welcoming the Rikkai regulars to our courts. Please give them your utmost respect. Regulars, run five laps to warm up. Freshmen, set up courts A and B, first. Leave plenty of tennis balls for the matches. Then, you may prepare the other two courts. Seniors and juniors, today you'll have independent practice. Arai, Ikeda, and Hayashi, you three will oversee the freshmen as they do drills. Dismissed!" The team members rushed off to do as they were told.

Tezuka knew they would disregard his orders and watch the matches, but he had a reputation to uphold. He rushed off after the other regulars; he was going to play a match, as well.

After five more minutes, everything was set up, and all sixteen regulars were ready to play some tennis. However, the two captains had to agree on the pairings, first.

Tezuka walked over to Yukimura, holding the list potential of match pairings.

"Here's the list I've created based on skill levels, play styles, and compatibility. If there's anything you want to change, just say so."

Yukimura looked over the list and smiled. "It's fine. However, I think I'd rather play this one," he pointed to a name on the sheet, "because it would be a new opportunity. Plus, it works out well. That way, we only have to switch two players, and they still match up rather well." With a nod, Tezuka made the necessary adjustments and walked to the center of the group.

"All regulars, please listen!" he called. He waited for the talking to die down before he continued. Tezuka noticed that Yukimura was talking amicably with Fuji. That was an interesting detail. Anyway, when the teens were quiet enough, he continued.

"Yukimura and I have decided that we will have two doubles matches, and four singles matches." There were several agreements coming from the group. "The order will be similar to the Nationals. Singles four will be first, then doubles two, then singles three, followed by doubles one, then singles two, and, finally, singles one. Volunteers will act as Umpire. Any questions?"

No one spoke up, which Tezuka took as his queue to start. He took a deep breath; things were about to get interesting.

"Who wants to be the first Umpire?" he asked. He turned at the slight cough for attention.

"If you don't mind, Tezuka, I'd like to have a go," Yukimura said. Though surprised, Tezuka agreed. With a smile, the blue-haired teen rushed off to the Umpire chair.

"And now," Tezuka declared, "Singles four. Inui Sadaharu of Seishun Gakuen versus Yanagi Renji of Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku. Both players please step onto the court."

And, with that, the games began.

* * *

**AN:** Yay, another chapter over! By the way, the matches will be somewhat predictable in the pairings, but there will be a few surprises. Heehee! Although, I'm sure some of my more astute readers will be able to figure some of them out. I've left some hints. About Ryoma's myterious opponent: Does anyone have an idea for the name? I've been sticking to "shadow" but if someone has a good idea, I might use it. I make no promises, though. It's still my story. :P

So, yeah, review and thanks. See ya next chapter! (Even if I have no idea when that will be)


	9. One Flaw

**AN: **WOO! I got another chapter out. Sorry for the wait you guys, but I explained why there would be delays in the last chapter. Anyway, I wrote this chapter in several small sittings, so the style might change slightly throughout the chapter. And, this chapter is a bit shorter than my last few, sorry! But, I thought it would be better to put this out in the open to feed my rabid readers...or the few that actually do read this.

Okay, I want to say a few things to certain people.

To Different Child, thanks for the longest review I have received. And thanks for some of the nicest compliments anyone has ever given me. You're incredibly close on certain points. Good Job! But, I'm not going to tell you which points because that wouldn't be fun. :P

To little angel of the sea, thanks for the kind comments. And, you're asking the right questions.

And last, but certainly not least, to ZephirusFye (you change your pen name a lot, don't you?), thanks so much for your constant support. I'm glad my story was able to evoke such emotion from you.

And to everyone else, thanks for your support. So, yeah, here's chapter nine, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Prince of Tennis or New Prince of Tennis (it's awesome by the way) or any other idea conceived by Konomi Takeshi.

* * *

**Chapter 9: One Flaw**

Inui adjusted his glasses as he observed the boy on the other side of the net. Yanagi Renji, Rikkai's data tennis player, was Inui's next opponent. With his short dark brown hair in a style similar to a bowl cut, and constantly shut eyes, Renji struck a very different appearance than the spiky-haired Inui. However, the two had been friends since their early tennis years.

The two had emerged on the junior tennis circuit as the top doubles pair of their age bracket. Together, they had won award after award as the data team. Inui was known as the Doctor while Renji was addressed as the Professor. Just before they transitioned to junior high, however, the inseparable pair split apart. Renji wanted to see who the better player was, and this desire led to their unfinished match. When the match had been stopped, the two had gone their separate ways; something that Inui learned the next day.

Renji had left Tokyo and enrolled at Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku. Though the two remained apart, they were still best friends. And, more importantly—for the purposes of their impending match—they knew each other better than anyone else. In fact, while Inui had a full notebook on each Seigaku regular—or semi-full in some cases—he had three complete notebooks on his old partner. And, one of these was devoted entirely to Renji's tennis style and techniques.

Their tennis match had finally come to an end in the Kanto tournament finals. Inui had forced the flow of the match, recreating the older one, shot by shot. When the score had reached the point it had in the past, Renji had finally realized what had happened. Then, the two had played like there was no tomorrow. In the end, Inui was able to claim victory over his old friend.

The two were at the net, standing close enough to touch, but doing absolutely nothing. At least, this is what the other regulars observed. The two data masters were actually running through the data they had on the other. However, they were staring at each other, intentionally increasing the tension. As the silence continued, the tension mounted. When it almost reached breaking point, Inui spoke.

"Renji," he began, "it's been a while."

"Indeed, Sadaharu, it's been months since we last had a match."

Inui nodded. "Yes, but, according to my data, you have been practicing heavily."

"You're as informed as ever, my friend," replied Renji, "My data indicates the same for you."

"Very true," Inui confirmed. "However, this time I shall—"

"'—win this match and, once again, be victorious' is what you were about to say. Right?" Renji interjected.

Inui shook his head slightly. Renji was as good as ever. "Correct."

The other regulars were quickly tiring of the pointless banter. They turned to Yukimura with looks saying "shut them up already!" The blue-haired captain chuckled, they were so impatient. Couldn't they see that the two data players were about to start the match anyway?

And, in fact, they were. "They're rather annoyed with our conversation." Inui snickered at his opponent's whispered comment.

"Yep," he replied, also whispering. "I suggest we start this match before they form an angry mob." Renji nodded, and the two shook hands. They walked to opposite sides of the court, and prepared to play.

Inui pulled a tennis ball from his pocket, and served. It was a normal shot, meant to gather data. Renji returned it in kind. This turned into a calm, easy-going rally as the two tried to force the other to make a mistake or play harder. They muttered their calculations as they ran around the court.

"100% chance for a cross shot."

"75% chance to the left."

"86% chance of a lob." At this point, Inui spotted his opportunity. He jumped to smash. As he did so, Renji dashed left, whispering, "94% chance of a smash to the left."

Inui took this chance to pull of the shot he'd used once before. Just as the racket face met the tennis ball, he turned it, smashing right instead of left. The ball slammed home, leaving a slight indentation in the ground. While his shot had been out in his previous match, this time it was right on the line.

Renji looked up to stare at Inui. After a few seconds, he smirked. It appeared that his data was now obsolete.

"So," Renji said, "it looks like you have abandoned your data yet again, Sadaharu."

"On the contrary, Renji, my data led to this result," Inui replied with a small grin.

Yukimura smiled. The two data masters were growing at every turn. Their skills were improving, their demeanors were less stoic, and they were still learning. It was times like these that made Yukimura glad to be a captain.

"15-0!"

* * *

Oshitari groaned in frustration. He was only ten minutes into his research, but it was already going downhill. The bespectacled boy knew exactly why Fuji was acting the way he was, but he had no idea as to how it could be stopped.

As he sighed again, his door burst open. Oshitari turned, expecting to have to scold the Atobe heir, but drooped at the sight of the visitor. It was Gakuto, still hyper, and still annoying. The redhead bounded into the room, glomping his doubles partner, much the same way as Eiji treated Ryoma.

"Hey Yuushi! What're you doing?!?" he asked, looking over the other boy's shoulder. Oshitari had opened up a word processor, and was typing a memo.

"Ask… Atobe… for… a… personal… bodyguard… to… keep… Gakuto… out… of… my… room… forever," Gakuto read, as Oshitari typed. Realization dawned on him slowly. "Hey! That's not cool, Yuushi!"

Oshitari looked up in incredulity. "Do you honestly think I care, Gakuto? Yes, we're doubles partners, but I hate dealing with your hyperactivity. So, since I can't, legally, keep you away from sugar, I'm going with the next best thing: keeping you away from _me_."

Hyoutei's tensai almost felt like apologizing after seeing Gakuto wilt in despair. Almost. There was no way in hell that Oshitari would let anyone impede him with his studies, research, or relaxation.

And so, Gakuto shuffled off in depression. Of course, in his hyper state, this didn't last very long; about thirty seconds, actually. He heard the distant sound of an ice cream truck.

"ICE CREAM!" he shrieked in joy before speeding out of the dormitory building.

Oshitari shook his head in exasperation. True, Gakuto was extremely annoying in his hyperactive state, but they were still good friends. Oshitari would have to go apologize later; he'd never actually hire a bodyguard to keep the boy away from him…probably. Oshitari wondered if Oishi from Seigaku had to deal with the same type of situations.

He turned back to the screen. His eyes scrolled down the possible matches on the search engine. Then, something caught his eyes.

"Wait, what's this?" he asked himself. "This one might actually provide useful information."

_Click_.

* * *

Fuji grinned; it wasn't everyday that he was able to converse with his friends from Rikkai. Especially Yukimura. The two were very similar. From behavior to appearance, the two were two peas in a pod. They were both slightly sadistic in their own ways, Fuji more so than Yukimura. They were also very quiet and gentle outside of the courts, but aggressive and temperamental on them.

By way of appearance, the two weren't identical in typical terms. However, they were both effeminate. They also exuded an aura, the kind that commanded attention. Not in the way that Tezuka and Sanada did, but more subtly.

"Ne, Yuki-kun," Fuji said.

"Hmm?"

"I just wanted to know something. Since Ryoma-chan is in the hospital, who are you going to have a match with?"

Yukimura grinned. "That's for me to know and you to find out, Fuji-kun."

"Aww, why can't you tell me?" Fuji pouted.

"Let's just say it's a secret, Fuji-kun. Either that or you could say that I'm lazy and don't feel like telling you," Yukimura replied with a grin.

The brunette's eyes glinted. "Did Tezuka order you not to reveal the matches?"

Yukimura heard the malice in that last comment, but chose to ignore it for the time being. "Fuji-kun, no one orders me around, you know that. And no, Tezuka did not mention the secrecy of the matches. I just don't want to tell you. I like secrets, and I like the reactions even more."

Fuji's expression was impossible to read. The blue-haired boy saw a mixture of many emotions. Anger, relief, exasperation, sadness, and several others. There was one other emotion Yukimura could detect. 'Is that confusion?' he asked himself. That was a surprise to say the least.

'Does Fuji-kun believe that Tezuka feels any anger toward him? If Fuji-kun does feel that way, then that could create some problems in the future.' Then a thought struck him. 'Maybe there are already problems. Tezuka seemed abnormally stressed. And, the whole team seems to avoid Fuji-kun.'

Yukimura would definitely have to have a talk with Tezuka.

* * *

With a serve, Ryoma flew to the net. Something was different, though. As soon as he reached the net, his opponent hit his return. The flat shot sped toward his stomach. It was moving too fast for Ryoma to react, so it slammed into his stomach. The freshman flew backward.

"No way," he gasped, the wind having been knocked out of him, "that's the 30th style of Hadoukyuu. How could that shadow thing use such a powerful move?" Of course, Ryoma didn't pause to wonder over the possible implications of the fact that he'd been injured in his mind.

* * *

The monitors beeped. Doctors rushed into the room.

Ryoma's heartbeat was very low, less than 15 beats per minute. Itoshiko panicked; how could his patient's condition suddenly become so critical?

"Get a stretcher!" one doctor yelled. However, in the minute it took to acquire the stretcher and place Ryoma's body on top, the monitor beeped yet again. All eyes turned to said machine.

Ryoma's heartbeat was now extraordinarily high. Over 150 beats per minute. The medical team rushed the patient to the surgery room. It had many more devices to check and solve the problem.

'Great,' Itoshiko groaned, 'what else could go wrong?"

* * *

With the score at 2-1 in favor of Inui, the two data players changed court. Of course, the two had to chat.

"So Sadaharu, it appears you're in the lead," Renji pointed out.

"Obvious, but correct Renji. However, I don't believe you have actually started playing yet."

"True," Renji replied, "but I don't think I have to yet. In a game or two, yes, but not now."

Inui twitched slightly. "Oh? Renji, do you not think I am skilled enough to play at your level?"

"Not at all, Sadaharu. I am merely implying that you have not truly started playing to your full potential as of yet. Until you do, I see no reason to play."

Light glinted off of Inui's glasses. "I see. Well, in that case, I shall raise my game to the next level."

"We shall see, Sadaharu. We shall see."

Yukimura quietly climbed down from the chair and walked over to the two data players.

"Excuse me, you two," he said, causing the other two to jolt in surprise, "but if you don't continue the match, I'll be forced to disqualify one of you. And, since it is currently Renji's serve, he will be disqualified in approximately thirty seconds."

The two very chagrined players rushed to the court. Renji served, and play began once again.

Yukimura smiled. It had been so fun to surprise the normally stoic and constantly observant data players. He had also heard the click of a camera when they had jumped in surprise. The blue-haired captain turned his head.

Fuji was currently grinning and looking at his camera. Yukimura had been correct. But, he felt sorry for the other two. Pretty soon, their lives would be hell.

He turned back to the match. With a drop shot, Renji took the point. "15-0!"

* * *

Ryoma tossed the ball upward and prepared for a powerful serve. He slammed the ball over the net, and it hit the ground with a huge amount of force, flying past the shadow, and giving him another game. "Big Bang."

The boy removed this cap and wiped his forehead with his arm. He didn't know why he could get tired in his mental creation, but right now, he didn't care.

With a smirk, he returned to the court. The score was now in his favor at two games to one, but he still had a ways to go.

* * *

With a groan, Atobe threw another folder down. Things weren't going the way he'd hoped. For one, he knew Oshitari would have much more trouble than he expected. That was just how things worked when dealing with Seigaku, and their tensai at that.

So, he had started searching through folder after folder to find an expert in the field. However, after ten folders, and only three more, things weren't looking good for the heir to the Atobe family and corporation.

Atobe sighed. If he didn't find a name soon, he'd have to hack the Atobe archives. He wouldn't have official access to it until he took over the company. But, he'd learned quite a few hacking tricks from Oshitari. Together, they had hacked said archives once before. With the information, they had gathered enough evidence to arrest that man from the cruise ship incident.

Flipping through the papers, Atobe sighed again. He'd been doing that a lot lately. 'Why is it that every time I get involved in that Echizen's problems, I end up sighing so much?' he wondered.

"Damn it!" he muttered. That folder had been useless, too. Atobe picked up the next one. After about five minutes, he found something.

"Hmm…this looks promising." He put the file aside, and kept searching. 'Who knows,' thought Atobe, 'I might find more names.'

* * *

The score was now 4-4. With Inui's serve next, Renji prepared himself for his opponent's Waterfall. Its top speed was approximately 212 km/h, but there was no telling how much faster it could be now. Inui trained harder than any other tennis player that Renji knew. Well, Kaidoh might train harder, but if he did, it was just barely.

Inui tossed the ball. Renji knew it was coming, so he braced himself. According to his data, the probability was 100%. Not even .0001% less. Renji stepped back several feet. He was not abnormally strong, so his only hope to return the serve would be to wait until it started to fall after the first bounce.

However, he didn't notice the smirk on Inui's face as he served. He'd been planning on using Waterfall, but he knew Renji's data was infallible. Therefore, he chose to play against his data.

The serve was light, just making it over the net and into the box. Renji's eyes widened when he saw this. He sped forward, and dove for it...and missed.

As the ball bounced past his head, thoughts tumbled through Renji's head. If a 100% probability was wrong, every bit of his data was off.

Inui grimaced slightly. What he'd done was a low blow, but it would give him the chance he needed. While Renji second-guessed himself every step of the way, Inui could play normally.

The ball flew up, and Renji, for the first time in his life, was unsure of what to do. What data could he rely on? What data should he lose?

The ball sped past Renji's ears.

Inui sighed. He'd hoped his friend could have handled the situation better, but it appeared that Renji had relied on data even more than Inui. Then again, this was understandable. Renji introduced Inui to data tennis.

With two more service aces and no response from Renji, Inui took the lead with five games to four.

* * *

Yukimura frowned. It wasn't like Inui to destroy his opponent's tennis by the foundation. Yes, it was a very useful tactic because it left the player lifeless and without a hint of morale. But, it could ruin a tennis player's future.

"Why, Inui?" he muttered. "Does this match mean so much to you that you'd destroy your best friend?"

* * *

Fuji gaped. He would never have guessed that Inui had it in him. Inui had used a very sadistic tactic, and possibly have destroyed a precious bond that too few ever experience.

'Interesting…this could present possibilities,' he thought. If Inui was willing to do this, then perhaps Fuji could take advantage of those feelings.

Fuji started chuckling.

* * *

Eiji shivered. He turned his head from side to side, looking for the source of the cold feeling. What he saw explained a lot.

Fuji stood to the right of the group. The tensai was chuckling and producing a bone-chilling aura. Eiji could only wonder what was going through the brunette's head. 'On second thought, maybe I don't want to know,'

Seeing his partner's discomfort, Oishi's brow furrowed. "Eiji, what's wrong?"

"Oishi, Fuji's scaring me," he whispered back. He needn't have worried, though. Fuji was too busy with his own musings to pay attention to his teammates.

"Just pay attention to the match, Eiji. Try to ignore him."

"O-okay, Oishi, but what's Fuji thinking about?" Eiji stuttered.

Oishi started worrying even more. Eiji only stuttered when he was very frightened. Oishi wasn't as perceptive as his partner, and couldn't detect Fuji's aura. But, if it scared Eiji this much, something was definitely wrong. 'What is Fuji thinking?' he wondered.

Glancing at the tensai, he gathered all the information he needed. Fuji was staring at Inui and chuckling.

Oishi lived and thought very logically. From school to tennis, logic and order ruled his life. Therefore, any guess he made was based solely on facts. If he was right, Fuji was planning to use Inui. It was just a guess, but Oishi was almost always right. In fact, in Inui's notebook, it said Oishi's guesses were correct 97.63% of the time.

Oishi would have to have to speak with Tezuka.

* * *

Inui and Renji changed court once again. However, this time, there was no conversation. This worried Inui. Did his choice to destroy Renji's faith in his data have unseen consequences? Could Renji be taking it far harder than he'd expected?

His worry was evident in the next game. He just barely returned Renji's half-hearted serve. But, even with very little concentration, Renji was no competition in his current state. Inui's return flew over the net, bounced twice, and rolled past Renji's feet.

Inui looked over at his long-time friend. Renji's face was blank. It was as though his body was unable to display the conflict going on in his head.

With a sigh, Inui prepared for another weak serve. And, with another three return aces, he won the match, 6-4.

* * *

Renji barely registered the loss. At the moment, millions of pieces of data were flying through his head, and he was unable to figure out what went wrong.

His data was supposed to be able to compensate for any inconsistencies in a tennis match. However, he'd been unable to foresee that serve. Why? That was the key to the solution to his problem. If he could figure that out, he could improve his data to perfection.

Renji shuffled off the court to stand next to his team. Too engaged in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the looks from his teammates.

'Wait…could it be possible?...Is that it?' Renji's thoughts were almost incomprehensible. However, his incredible cognitive capabilities were about to reveal the one flaw in his data.

* * *

**AN:** Hehehehe....I love using cliff hangers/plot twists...it's so fun! Anyway, I'm not sure when I'll be able to release the next chapter. My schedule kinda hectic right now.

Now for the usual comments. If there are any plot/grammar/character inconsistencies please tell me. Oh yeah, review or I'll send my army of rabid chipmunks to lay seige to your vegetable garden! (not really, i don't have any rabid chipmunks to use as weapons....oh well) See ya in the next chapter!


	10. More Trouble

**AN: **Yay, another chapter is finally out. Honestly, this chapter should have been out earlier, but I had a bit of writer's block half-way through the chapter. I'm not sure if that will show in my writing, but I'm mentioning it now, just in case.

To my readers, especially ZephirusFye and Different Child, I'm going to start using the little reply button thingy to personally reply to all signed reviews. But, wow, only 30 reviews? That's about one review for every one thousand words. Whatever, like some of you have told me, that kind of thing doesn't matter.

On to the story stuff. The match in this chapter has a doubles pair that I'm pretty sure none of you would have guessed. Or maybe you would have if you think like I do. XD Also it'll have a couple of surprising twists. Anyway, here's chapter 10, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** No, I don't own the Prince of Tennis or anything that awesome...oh well.

* * *

**Chapter 10: More Trouble**

Yukimura sighed. The last match had not gone as anyone had expected. He turned. Renji was completely silent. By itself, that wasn't very odd. But, the blank expression on his face spoke volumes.

Inui, on the other hand, was fidgeting as though he was nervous about something. He would also sneak quick glances at his data friend. 'At least he's feeling guilty about what he did,' thought Yukimura.

It also didn't go unnoticed that Fuji was still grinning like a maniac. In fact, the other regulars were attempting to inch away from him without the tensai noticing. Why did his friend have to be so creepy sometimes?

Shaking his head, he turned to Tezuka. The brunette took this as his cue to announce the next match.

The regulars from both teams watched Seigaku's captain as he began to speak.

"Minna! The next match is about to begin. When I call your name, please step onto the court. Now then, Doubles 2. Kawamura Takashi and Kaidoh Kaoru of Seigaku versus Masaharu Niou and Hiroshi Yagyuu of Rikkai."

The aforementioned tennis players walked onto the court. The others were whispering excitedly.

"Oishi, this is the first time those two have played together, nya!" Eiji said.

"Yes, Eiji," Oishi chuckled. "But, I wonder why Tezuka picked those two."

"Nya, I bet it has to do with the later matches. Those two were probably the leftovers and were shoved together," Eiji replied. (AN: guilty as charged :P)

"Eiji," Seigaku's mother hen admonished, "that's not very nice!" His redheaded friend just grinned.

* * *

"This is a rather surprising combination," Yagyuu pointed out. The four players were currently at the net.

"Y-yeah," Kawamura stuttered.

"Oi, Kawamura-senpai, here's your racket," Kaidoh hissed, handing him said object.

"Oh great, now we have to bleed out of our ears," Niou remarked, "puri."

"GREATO! I'M BURNING UP, BABY! GET READY TO LOSE!"

"Kawamura-senpai's way too loud, fshuuuu…."

* * *

The regulars were cringing in pain. Well, everyone except for Fuji. And, of course, Eiji noticed this first.

"Nya, Fujiko-chan, how are your ears not hurting?" When Fuji failed to respond, the acrobat asked again. The tensai turned his head and pulled an earplug out of his left ear.

"Ne, did you say something Eiji?" Everyone sweatdropped at that. Then, they turned back to the match.

* * *

Atobe pulled out his brand-new top-of-the-line cell phone. The rest of the folders were completely useless, but the one he'd found earlier required attention. Dialing Oshitari's number, Atobe quickly let his eyes scan the files. It was, by far, the best option available. Unless Oshitari found something better. 'No that's impossible,' thought the grayish-purple haired boy, 'there's no way anyone can beat Ore-sama at anything. Except that gaki, but he's unconscious.'

His musings were put on hold, however, when Oshitari picked up.

"Atobe? What do you want? You know I'm extremely busy right now."

"Shut it, peasant. Ore-sama has discovered a possible person to go to for help with the Echizen incident."

"Oh really?" came the semi-sarcastic reply. "Well then, who did you find?"

Oshitari chuckled lightly at the name his captain provided. "Coincidentally, Atobe, I found the same person online. So, it's our best bet for a solution. What do we do now?"

Atobe blinked. He actually hadn't thought that far ahead. Actually, he didn't think they would have found anyone, considering the vague field they were looking in. But, that didn't deter the egotistical young heir.

"Obviously, we find this person, Ore-sama bribes them with large amounts of money, and they help us."

"…Atobe, do you know who we're talking about? They won't be that easy to persuade."

"What are you talking about? Ore-sama doesn't know a single middle school student who wouldn't kill for a million dollars." (AN: yeah, they're in Japan and I used dollars. It's a lot simpler that way.)

Oshitari pondered this statement. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Of course. Ore-sama is always right."

"Atobe, I'm going to kill you the next time we meet," the blue-haired boy replied, his voice a bone-chilling hiss.

"We shall see, peasant." And, with that, Atobe hung up.

* * *

Ryoma waited for the shadow's serve, hopping slightly to put his one-footed split step to good use. However, he would never, in a million years, have guessed what would happen next. The serve hit the court and…rolled. It didn't bounce; it rolled, flying past Ryoma's feet.

"What's going on?" he pondered aloud. "How can it use all of these moves? Especially that last one. The Tannhäuser Serve is one of Monkey King's moves. Well, then again, I copied it."

Of course, Ryoma, being as oblivious as he is to anything not related to tennis, didn't stop to ponder the implications of that fact.

He prepared for the next serve, hoping to would be something a bit easier to return. Luckily for him, it was a perfectly normal shot, which he returned with a powerful forehand. Although he was an all-rounder, he generally preferred the serve and volley playstyle. And so, he rushed to the net. Dashing toward the left side of the net, he returned the ball with a backhand slice.

The shadow was at the net in an instant, using a technique that looked suspiciously like Higa Chuu's Shukuchihou footwork. Before the ball even started dropping, the shadow hit a drive volley straight at Ryoma. However, Seigaku's ace had experienced the same thing in his match with Akutsu Jin. He brought his racket up in time to return the shot. This time, his opponent hit a lob straight over Ryoma's head, landing just inside the court. The capped boy didn't even try to get to it.

Now, Ryoma was fuming.

"First he uses MY Drive A, and then he takes advantage of my height. I'm going to kick his ass."

What he didn't notice was that his old, arrogant self was beginning to shine through.

The score: 30-0.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Doubles 2 match had already started. However, it soon became obvious that the Kaidoh-Kawamura pair was not exactly a match made in heaven. Neither player was the playmaker type, meaning they had no strategy whatsoever. The result was defensive play against a very competent doubles pair from Rikkai.

In just ten minutes the score was already 4-1. And, that was only because Kawamura used the same serve that won him the match in the Nationals Semi-finals.

Ever since he recovered from his vast number of injuries in that match, Kawamura had been working on that serve. However, he was unable to recreate the incredible power of desperation. That was when Inui stepped in. The data man created a menu to increase Seigaku's powerhouse's strength three-fold. He also gave the brown-haired boy instructions on the technique required for the serve. It had taken many hours of exercise and torturous practice sessions, but Kawamura was finally able to hit that serve several times before feeling the effects of such a shot.

However, since he was the last to serve, that wouldn't help them much, unless they managed to take a few more games.

Then, Kaidoh noticed something.

"Kawamura-senpai, come over here," he called. Fortunately, Kawamura cooled down a bit and wasn't shouting anymore. When he was sure the third year was listening, Kaidoh continued.

"I've got an idea. I noticed that Yagyuu hits his Laser Beam down the middle. If that's the case, I want you to prepare a Hadoukyuu when you see the right stance. Hit it toward Niou if possible. He'll be at the net, where your shot is strongest."

Kawamura was shocked, to say the least. "Uh, Kaidoh, that's the most I've ever heard you say."

"I just don't want to lose, fshuuu…."

Kaidoh walked back to the service line and served. A rally ensued until they saw their chance.

Kawamura stood in the middle of the court, ready to hit a Hadoukyuu. Yagyuu noticed this, but it was too late. His Laser Beam shot straight toward the power player who did just as Kaidoh asked and hit it at Niou. Rikkai's trickster, ever the pragmatist, ducked. The ball slammed into the court and kept going. It flew straight through the caging, and lodged itself in a tree. Niou sweatdropped.

"That could have killed me, you idiot!" he yelled.

"Sorry, I guess I got caught up in the moment," Kawamura replied, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

"Well, I know who I'm turning into," the gray-haired boy muttered. And, with that, he turned into Ishida Gin.

"….fshuuu…."

"Kaidoh, I think we need a new plan."

"Okay, try to set up a few chances for my Hadoukyuu Boomerang or Tornado Snake. That way, we can avoid those ridiculously powerful shots."

This appeared to work as they managed to take the next two games.

It was Kawamura's serve. The returning player was Niou. The brunette tossed the ball in the air, but his hands were slick with sweat and it flew off-center, meaning his incredible serve was not to be. Niou, disguised as Gin, was still upset about the earlier shot, so he returned the ball with Gin's 108th style of Hadoukyuu. This slammed into Kawamura leg, breaking it on impact.

"Tezuka, call Ryuuzaki-sensei!" Oishi cried as he rushed in with his first-aid kit.

And Tezuka did just that. When he heard his coach pick-up on the other end, he started talking.

"Ryuuzaki-sensei, where are you right now?"

"Tezuka?! I'm in a teacher's conference. Why, what's wrong?"

"Kawamura's leg is broken," came the terse reply. "We need you to take him to the hospital immediately."

"I'll be right there." Tezuka hung up.

* * *

Yukimura, meanwhile, was punishing Niou.

"Niou-kun, I understand you were upset by Kawamura-san's shot, but there was no reason to use such a dangerous move. Sanada, if you will."

"Of course, Yukimura. Niou, for your behavior, you shall be punished. Tarundoru!"

Sanada raised his hand. Niou braced himself for the hit he knew was coming, but it never did. He looked up to see Yukimura restraining his co-captain.

"Sanada, we've discussed this before. Although punishment is needed to keep people in line, violence is never the answer."

"…Like you should talk, puri..." Niou muttered.

"What was that?" Yukimura asked innocently. However, his sadistic aura was washing over the frightened boy.

"N-Nothing, Yukimura-buchou."

The blue-haired sadist smirked. "That's what I thought. Now then, Sanada, I believe you were dishing out some punishment."

"Ah. Niou, for the next two months, you will have to do as the first years do. That means you'll pick up balls, do drills, and won't play any matches. In other words, the only time you'll touch your racket is when doing 200 swings."

Niou's head drooped. "Hai, Sanada-fukubuchou."

* * *

Ryuuzaki Sumire arrived to a chaotic tennis court. The non-regulars were all blabbering on about nonsensical matters, while the regulars were gathered around Kawamura. She let out a gasp when she saw his leg. As tennis coach, she had seen many injuries, but none had truly prepared her for the sight before her.

Kawamura's leg was bent at a strange angle. Part of a bone had also ruptured the skin, and his leg was bleeding profusely. Oishi was doing the best he could to slow the blood flow, but he didn't want to make matters worse.

"Tezuka, why didn't you call for an ambulance?"

Inui cut in to save Tezuka on this one. "Ryuuzaki-sensei, I calculated that it would actually be faster for you to drive him to the emergency room. However, that's only if you go _now_."

Tezuka turned to the regulars.

"Momoshiro and Jackal, could you two carry Kawamura to Ryuuzaki-sensei's car?"

They nodded and hoisted him up, disregarding the blood that was seeping into their clothes. Sumire hurriedly escorted the two to her car. They all got in and she sped off toward the hospital.

When they arrived, the two tennis players, once again, lifted the injured boy and carried him through the automatic doors of the emergency room. As soon as the receptionist saw them, she acted.

Pressing the intercom button, she said, "I need a stretcher in the emergency room lobby immediately."

In less than a minute, two nurses rushed in with a stretcher, onto which Momoshiro and Jackal placed Kawamura. The three followed the stretcher to the same surgery room that Momoshiro was taken to.

"Déjà vu," he commented nervously. After a few minutes, a nurse stepped out.

"Kawamura-san will be in there for a while," she began. Eyeing the two tennis players in their tennis clothes, she continued, "If those two need to be at a game, you might as well take them back. There's no need for them to wait here."

"Do you two want to go back?" Sumire questioned the two boys.

"Yeah, Taka-san wouldn't want us to waste an opportunity to play some intense matches." Jackal nodded his agreement.

"Okay then, I'll take you back." She turned back to the nurse. "I assume I need to come back to fill out paperwork and all that other good stuff?"

"Of course," the young woman replied dryly.

And so, the three hopped back into Sumire's car and drove back to Seigaku.

* * *

Back at Seigaku, Tezuka and Yukimura were currently having a discussion.

"I think we should stop the matches for today," Tezuka said.

"I disagree," Yukimura replied. "I don't want to make my team go home and come back tomorrow. It would waste time, and it would kill the enthusiasm I see in their eyes."

"…Fine. We'll continue the matches, but first we need to clean up all this blood." Tezuka turned to the gathered freshmen and picked out the only three he knew.

"Horio, Kachirou, and Katsuo, go find a janitor who knows how to clean blood stains off of tennis courts."

The freshmen trio rushed off to obey their captain's orders.

About ten minutes later they returned with a rather annoyed janitor. He was an elderly man around the age of retirement. Without a word, he quickly poured a cleaning solution on the court, and started mopping it up. Within five minutes, the stain was gone, and the janitor packed up his materials. Then he turned to Tezuka and looked up in the eye.

"I don't know how you tennis kids get injured so often, but the next time one of you bleeds like that, get off the court before you mess it up. It's lucky it was still setting or that could have taken an hour to remove."

He shuffled off, muttering, "Crazy kids these days…"

Every single tennis player there sweatdropped. Then realization dawned on Eiji.

"Nya, Oishi, Oishi! Tezuka just got in trouble!" Unfortunately for the redhead, Tezuka heard this.

"Eiji, 100 laps."

"Hai, hai."

* * *

Ryoma struggled through the rest of the fourth game of his match. Somehow, the shadow was able to combine Shiraishi Kuranosuke's Perfect Tennis with Kaidoh's endurance and Kamio Akira's speed. Suffice it to say that Ryoma lost that game.

With a growl, Ryoma prepared to serve. He jumped…high. Then, he slammed the ball down to the court, replicating Sengoku Kiyosumi's serve.

"Kohou!" he exclaimed. The shadow returned with an awkward lob, which Ryoma took full advantage of. Still in the air, he smashed it toward the shadow's hand region, and was rewarded when its racket fell to the ground. The ball, once again, flew into the air, only to have Ryoma smash it back down to win the point.

"Rondo Towards Destruction," he said. Then, just for the heck of it, he added, "Be awed by my prowess."

But, Ryoma was starting to feel the effects of Muga no Kyouchi. His stamina was draining quickly, and, unless he did something soon, he'd be forced to deactivate it. However, he decided to continue using it for the rest of this game.

Ryoma pulled out another tennis ball. This time he tossed it up and bent over backward into an L-shape. Then he released the tension in his muscles, springing back and hitting a powerful serve, copying Kajimoto Takahisa's L-drive Serve. He then dashed forward, flipping his racket around so he was using a backward grip. When the return came to him, he hit it in a curved path, saying, "Viking Horn!" He managed to catch the shadow going the other way, giving him the point.

The next serve came from Rokkaku's Kurobane Harukaze. By pronating his arm, Ryoma was able to use the contraction of his muscles to perform a powerful serve. He met the return with intense topspin, making the ball 'disappear.' The shadow paused just long enough for the ball to speed by it. It was Chitose Senri's Kamikakushi.

Ryoma brought forth yet another neon green ball, tossed it into the air, and served.

* * *

Itoshiko wiped the sweat off of his brow. He, along with several other doctors and nurses, had been rushing around; putting Ryoma through several tests and finding seldom used medical equipment.

Ryoma had been put in the ICU, or Intensive Care Unit, immediately. They put him on oxygen, and used a few sedatives in hopes that his heartbeat would stabilize. Thankfully, after about five minutes, it did.

However, he wasn't in the clear yet. Itoshiko was personally running the boy through several test to make sure nothing had been damaged during the spikes in Ryoma's heartbeat.

A nurse walked in. "Doctor, now that Echizen-san has stabilized, do you want to move him back to his room?"

"Not yet. I'm pretty sure he's fine, but I want to be able to act instantly if something similar occurs."

"Of course." The nurse nodded, and stepped out of the room.

Itoshiko returned his gaze to his patient.

"You have caused a lot of trouble, do you know that?" he asked quietly.

* * *

Echizen Rinko was currently in her office, looking over some files. Her latest client was a victim of sub-par working conditions. The poor woman had been sitting returning after a conference when the ceiling fan, which was older than it should have been and had sharp, rusty edges, disconnected from it's fixture and plummeted toward her. She had managed to avoid a possibly fatal injury by diving to the side, but the fan had sliced into the woman's ankle, destroying bone and muscle tissue. The rust had also created infections. The result: the woman had her foot amputated.

Now disabled, the company refused to let her work for liability issues. Therefore, she was receiving no income. Coming to Rinko had been the woman's last resort.

Now Rinko had to bring the case to court. It was inevitable that her client would win the case, but the justice system was rather slow. Almost as slow as it's counterpart in the United States. Rinko was currently looking furiously for a loophole that would allow her to move the day of the trial forward.

However, the real reason she was so engrossed in her work was that it let her escape the problems in her life. Namely, the fact that her son was in a self-induced coma in the hospital.

When she went back through her client's personal information, though, she saw that she, too, had a son in middle school. Rinko hitched her breath as the events of the past few days rushed back to her in a wave of misery. Her eyes glistened with tears, but none fell.

"No!" she growled. "I have to be strong. That idiot husband of mine won't work, so I have to for us to have any hope of paying for Ryoma's medical bills."

Every member of Seigaku's regulars and their parents had offered to split the payment among themselves, but Rinko would have none of it. While she had been grateful at the gesture, she didn't want anyone else to suffer because of what happened to her son.

"I won't rest until I see my son walking around again."

* * *

**AN: **Yeah, I'm not sure what to think about that last scene. I actually added it as an afterthought because I thought Rinko wasn't getting enough time in the spotlight.

Anyway, wow that hospital might as well be Seigaku's personal hospital. I think I might have made Niou a little too OOC, but, hey, it's fanfiction, isn't it? That means the I control every aspect of their world. Hehehe...

As usual, if there are any grammar/plot/character inconsistencies, please let me know in a PM.

Oh, I have a few questions for anyone who knows the Prince of Tennis more than I do. Does Hyoutei have dorms? Also, I think I know who I'm going to use as the "possible solution" to the Echizen-Fuji problem, but I want to know who you people want to see. Restrictions: They can't come from Seigaku, Rikkai, Hyoutei, or Higa (I just don't like Higa for some reason). Also, they have to be relatively intelligent. I mean, come on, they have a web page and a file in the Atobe archives.

So, yeah, thanks again for all of your support. Review, please! (I've actually resorted to begging for reviews...for shame...) See ya in the next chapter!


	11. Hard Work

**AN: **Wow, this chapter took a lot longer to finish than it should have. Sorry! Let's see, now I should probably explain why. First of all, I had an annoying bout of writer's block. Then, there's also the fact that my house has been a maelstrom of chaos since school's about to start. Oh yeah, then there's the fact that this site wouldn't let me upload anything for a while. So, yeah, it should have been out yesterday. Oh well.

To my reviewers: thanks so much for actually reviewing. It really encourages me to write and the comments are awesome and, at times, hilarious. I replied to most of the signed reviews, but I kinda lost track of who I'd sent messages to, so, if you didn't get a reply, I'm truly sorry. I'll try harder next time.

Anyway, the first scene in this chapter is dedicated to Different Child. It was her idea to have a scene showing how Nanjiroh was dealing with the situation. Also, there was one line that was completely her idea. (You know which one XD) And, Puppylove7 gets credit for the 'solution' to the issue...or the person, at least. I was actually thinking of someone else entirely, but it was a really good idea, and I now have a lot of material I can use.

So, yeah, here's chapter 11, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Don't own PoT....just don't....

* * *

**Chapter 11: Hard Work**

Echizen Nanjiroh was lying in his usual spot at the small shrine behind the Echizen household. Normally, he'd be looking through his…magazines and giggling perversely. But, that was not the case this day. The ex-pro was puffing on one of his customary cigarettes, staring through reality.

He might not have shown as obviously as his wife, but he was extremely worried about Ryoma. The years of tennis, where staying calm was critical to success, had trained him to cope with situations. However, it didn't really help when his son was currently comatose in a hospital.

Nanjiroh knew he should probably be helping somehow, but he didn't know what he could even do. Ever since his attempt to clean the dishes that one time, Rinko hadn't let him do any housework…at all.

"_Rinko-chan, you should rest, I'll wash the dishes tonight."_

_The woman of the household stared incredulously at her, normally, lazy husband. "You actually want to help?!"_

"_Of course, what kind of husband would I be if I didn't help my pregnant wife?"_

_Yes, this happened before Ryoma was even born._

"_Nanjiroh, you've never helped me before," she replied, her eye twitching slightly._

"_Well I am now. Now, shoo Rinko-chan, I'll take care of this mess."_

"_If you insist…" she muttered, still confused by the change of heart. She was very tired. Although Nanjiroh was bringing home the bacon, as it were, Rinko refused to be a helpless lump._

…_Fifteen minutes later…_

_CRASH!_

"_Nanjiroh? What was that?" Rinko asked._

"_N-nothing, Rinko-chan. I just dropped a glass." _

_That wasn't a very convincing excuse considering the volume of the crash. So, Rinko got up and walked over to the kitchen…and immediately wished she'd never seen the sight before her. _

_Every single plate, bowl, and glass was currently in many tiny pieces, spread across the kitchen in a surprisingly even pile. Rinko exploded._

"_NANJIROH!! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!" she screamed. _

In fact, he never actually told her how he'd managed to destroy all of those dishes, even the ones that were clean. But that was a separate story that would take far too long to tell.

And so, Nanjiroh really didn't have any options regarding supporting the family. And, he felt guilty, helpless, and pathetic. Yes, Rinko had forced him to put all of his tennis earnings in the bank, so they had that, but they'd already used a bit of those reserves. So, it wouldn't be enough to pay the horrendous medical bills that would result from this ordeal. He had to do something. Nanjiroh pulled himself out of his musings. His eyes glinted with determination.

The ex-pro got to his feet. He rushed inside and put on the only suit he owned. No matter what, by the end of the day, he'd have a job that would help support his family.

* * *

Tezuka, once again, turned to address the regulars. When he looked at the match list, however, he paused.

"Yukimura, could you come over here." He beckoned the boy over with a gesture.

Though he was puzzled, the blue-haired boy did as asked. Tezuka showed him the sheet of paper, and comprehension dawned on Rikkai's captain.

"Ah, sure thing Tezuka."

The regulars silenced themselves immediately. This time, Yukimura addressed the regulars.

"And now," he began dramatically, "Singles 3. Tezuka Kunimitsu of Seigaku vs. Sanada Genichirou of Rikkai. Please step onto the court."

Attention lessened at the announcement. They had all seen the match in the Nationals and assumed this would be no different. If only they knew how very wrong they were…

* * *

Atobe and Oshitari were in the back seat of one of the former's many limos. The rich boy was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Atobe, what's up?" Oshitari asked, slightly concerned.

"Nothing, just preparing to everything Ore-sama is going to say to that kid when we get there."

The blue-haired tensai gaped. In a dignified way, of course. Atobe was actually preparing for something besides tennis. In other words, he was thinking before acting…Scary…

"Well, it's a bit of a wait, Atobe." And, so, Oshitari pulled out one of his roman—I mean…emotionally rewarding novels….yeah, let's go with that.

The two sat in companionable silence as Atobe's limo sped toward Chiba.

* * *

Saeki Kojirou was a relatively normal middle school tennis player…if you could call any of them normal. He was similar to the other, smarter players. His grades were excellent, and he was top of his class in most cases. The teen also had a fairly large fan group. Friends were not something he lacked. And, of course, he was very skilled when it came to tennis.

Although his skills were above par, since he was a regular, his true gift was his analytical ability. That made him an ideal doubles partner because he could see through almost any conceivable strategy. Of course, this also gave him a great advantage in singles matches.

In other words, his life was looking up.

But, it was all about to change.

"Kojirou-kun, there are a couple of boys here to see you," he mother called. What gave the boy pause was that his mother had said "a couple of boys." That meant she didn't know either of them, and she knew all of his friends enrolled at Rokkaku. 'Oh well, better see who's here.'

Saeki rushed down the stairs. He'd been making headway in his huge pile of homework. When he arrived downstairs, he took a look at the two. If his mother hadn't been present, he would have sworn.

'Damn it, I should have taken Mare-kun's bet.' Strangely, said boy had offered to make a bet at school that day. The bet was that no out-of-the-ordinary people would show up at his house after school. Saeki had dismissed it immediately; seriously, how often do strange people show up at your door? 'Arrgh, I wouldn't have had to pay for lunch for the rest of the year!'

"Atobe? And Oshitari-san? What are you two doing here?" His mother smacked him over the head with a feather duster.

"Manners, Kojirou-kun, manners!" She hissed.

"A-ah, right. Would you two like to come inside?" The two Hyoutei boys nodded, and shut the door behind them. The three moved into the living room. This room was lavishly furnished. It had a fireplace over to the side, with a standard, three-seat sofa facing it. There was a well-used coffee table in front of this couch, with a few armchairs also facing the table. Feeling his mother's burning glare on his back, Saeki continued playing the role as host.

"Please, sit down and make yourselves comfortable. Would you like anything? Tea? Or maybe something to eat?" He asked nervously. It wasn't everyday that he had to be a host for anything. Usually, his friends came over to hang out for a couple of hours, and Saeki was able to be himself.

His mother finally took over. The two guests asked for tea, and sat down in the two armchairs, while Saeki, himself, sat back on the couch and tried to relax. And awkward silence followed, only punctuated by the appearance of his mother with drinks. As she shuffled away, she sent a glare toward her son that clearly said, "Entertain them or I'll beat the hell out of you later." Saeki gulped. Why was it that the scariest people on the planet were mothers?

"So, why are you two here?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"Saeki-san, it appears that you've set up a small business, am I right?" Atobe began.

The white-haired boy blinked. "Yeah, but I'm surprised you two have heard about it. It's gotten little to no attention from the public."

"True. I looked at the statistics, and you're right. However, we have a case on our hands that your skills are perfectly suited for."

"Okay, who or what is the problem?"

Oshitari decided to step in. "Fuji Syuusuke. He's your friend, too, I believe. That should make this much easier."

Saeki' eyes widened. He'd dealt with a Fuji problem before. "Let me guess. One of Fuji's 'precious people' was injured by someone else. He now wants to get revenge on said person, along with anyone else that tries to interfere. Am I right?"

The widened eyes gave him the answer before either boy spoke. "Uh, yeah. How the hell did you know exactly what was going on?"

A sigh escaped Saeki's lips. "Because it's happened before."

* * *

Tezuka tossed the ball up to serve. The neon orb flew across the court, hit the ground, and…rolled back to the net.

Sanada's eyes widened. "So, Tezuka, Zero-Shiki Serve already? How reckless. This is a practice match you know."

"Yes, but I've learned to never let my guard down, Sanada." Tezuka turned. Memories of his previous match with Rikkai's vice captain returned to him. As captain, he'd given it his all, putting his arm on the line, and it still hadn't been enough. Tezuka had been training to the limit every single day since then. Although he was as stoic as ever, he'd truly wanted this rematch, and was excited. He wanted to redeem himself in the eyes of his teammates. They already had the utmost respect for him, so it didn't really matter, but that was beside the point.

During his training, Tezuka had learned to use the Zero-Shiki Serve while putting very little strain on his arm by using his whole body to apply the necessary spin.

The greatest part of this serve was that, because the receiver has to wait for the ball to hit the court before returning, it was nigh on impossible to return.

With another three serves, he'd won the first game. Oishi looked at his watch. That game had taken about a minute to end. He grinned at his friend's accomplishment. But, he had to wonder why Tezuka was risking his arm for a third time.

Sanada gritted his teeth in frustration. He had to find a way around that serve or he had no chance of winning. Tezuka's defense was too good, and Sanada would lose a service game at some point. He'd have to think as he played, however. It was his serve.

And, with the toss, he was off. Tezuka responded with a powerful cross shot, but it wasn't nearly enough to stop Rikkai's Emperor. But, as he hit the return, Sanada had a nagging feeling that Tezuka was trying something.

He was right. As the ball flew toward its destination on the other side of the court, it curved toward the bespectacled boy, providing him with an easy shot. Sanada wasn't prepared for it, even though he'd faced this technique many times.

* * *

"Tezuka Zone!" Kachirou cried enthusiastically.

"Oi! How the hell did you get to the front?! Go back to the other freshmen." Kaidoh yelled. The smaller boy cringed in fear and scuttled back to his friends. The junior sighed. Kachirou had served a purpose, at least. Although every single person in attendance knew what that move was called. Why did everyone always have to yell out the name of a move? Why did they even have to yell, for that matter? It was tennis, not a loud sport like hockey or something.

"Fssshhhuuuu….." Where was that cocky brat when you needed him? At least he'd agree about the senseless noise.

* * *

Oishi watched the exchange between Kaidoh and Kachirou with a small smile on his face. The viper was definitely the right decision for captain. He easily kept those around him in line.

Although he frowned upon the use of fear to control people, Tezuka did the same thing. Admittedly it was more a frighteningly powerful presence, but it still classified as using fear to obtain attention.

Once again, Oishi grinned. Seigaku would be fine next year.

* * *

Sanada sighed. "Tezuka Zone? Come on, Tezuka, I broke that at the Nationals and I'll break it here. And, I don't even have to use a large number of Fire's this time."

He served again, waited for the return, and slammed it to the opposite corner. Of course, Tezuka Zone pulled this to Seigaku's captain, who returned it with just as much power. This time, though, Sanada was ready. He was at the ball in an instant, sparks flying due to his speed. Holding the racket so it would meet the ball on its side, Sanada threw as much power as possible into his shot. It flew over the net, smashed into the ground, and went off to the side, effectively negating the Tezuka Zone.

"Strike like lightning!" he cried.

Kaidoh facepalmed. See? Everyone did that.

* * *

Game count: 3-2; in Ryoma's favor. It appeared, however, the shadow was not about to take this lying down. As soon as Seigaku's rookie was ready to receive, the shadow served at a speed unrivaled by any previous shot in the match. The ball flew past a grimacing Ryoma's face.

The rest of the game followed a similar pattern. The capped boy had hoped he wouldn't have to use anything beside Muga no Kyouchi, but it had obviously taken its toll on the boy. Ryoma was unable to reach many balls he should have been able to, especially with his extensive training regimen. He was tired, and he knew it.

As the shadow's game count rose, the freshman made a decision. A shining aura enveloped him as he stood at the service line. Suddenly, Ryoma saw every shot of the next point. He had activated Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami.

"Twelve shots."

* * *

The score was three games to one, in Sanada's favor. But, Tezuka had barely begun to play. He tossed up a tennis ball, and hit yet another Zero-Shiki Serve.

The brunette blinked as Sanada dashed to the ball's destination. As soon as it touched the ground, the Emperor dragged his racket along the ground, and, basically, lifted the ball over the net.

Tezuka blinked in surprise, but he was at the net in an instant. He hit a return to Sanada's left, hoping against hope that he would be unable to reach it. Of course, his opponent used Lightning and easily smashed a winner.

With a hint of a glare, Tezuka looked up at the person who had returned his ultimate serve. Nodding slightly to show his respect, he returned to the line to prepare for another serve.

This time, it was a normal, high-speed serve. Sanada returned this, but his eyes widened as the ball curved out.

"Tezuka Phantom…" he whispered. His eyes flicking to Tezuka, he asked, "Are you really going to sacrifice your arm in a practice match?"

"Who said I was risking my arm?" the bespectacled captain replied with a small smirk. Sanada narrowed his eyes then widened them in realization.

"You mean that you've lessened the stress on your arm when applying spin? How? I can understand the Zero-Shiki Serve. All it requires is using your body to create spin, but the Tezuka Phantom?"

"I'll tell you after the match, Sanada. For now, all I have to say is this: Don't let your guard down."

Sanada glared when he heard the catchphrase. "Fine, Tezuka, I'll wait." He returned to his receiving stance.

Tezuka mentally smiled. The truth was he had put himself through an intense training session that made his serve training look like a walk in the park. Actually, if it hadn't been for Oishi and Inui, he probably wouldn't have succeeded.

_Tezuka grabbed his arm in agony. He'd been training with Oishi for a whole week non-stop, but had nothing to show for it but pain. Mind-numbing pain. _

_Oishi looked on in horror. It was like a repeat of that match so long ago in the Kanto Tournament. _

"_Tezuka! We should stop. I don't want you to lose the ability to play tennis. It just isn't worth it. I know you want to perfect this move, but your welfare and future are far more important."_

_Tezuka just glared at Oishi as his armed throbbed. "Oishi, I'm fine. Let's just keep trying."_

"_Tezuka, you should listen to your friend," came a voice from behind him. The captain turned to see Seigaku's data man. "To be more precise, you should stop for today, and probably not play for the rest of the week. After that, I'll help you perfect the Tezuka Phantom."_

_The brunette just stared. "Inui, you know what I need to do?"_

_Inui sighed. "Tezuka, I don't gather data just for pleasure…Okay, I do, but that's beside the point. I know exactly why that shot puts so much strain on your arm, and I know which muscles are being used at the moment. When you've recovered, I'll help you use more muscles to achieve the same results, thereby spreading the stress to a much wider area. That way, it won't damage your arm, at all. But, I refuse to help you until you rest. Before you protest, I'll say this: If you don't rest your muscles, no matter what I do, you'll lose the ability to play high-level tennis forever."_

_Tezuka was silent for a full five minutes before he responded._

"_Fine. But I promise you, Inui, if this doesn't work, you'll be running laps for the rest of your life." _

_Seigaku's captain was a very efficient person, and hated to waste time, and he viewed resting as a waste of time. He was stubborn to a fault, but he'd listen to Inui if it meant he would be able to perfect the Phantom._

"_Of course, Tezuka."_

After the resting period, Inui had pushed Tezuka beyond his limit to achieve the results he expected. After weeks of training, he'd perfected the Phantom. Now, he could put the needed spin on the ball while putting almost no strain on his arm. In fact, when he served, he could do so without any stress at all. This was due to the fact that, since the ball had no spin and wasn't coming at him from an opponent, he could achieve the same spin with half the work.

The only possible way to defeat it was to put so much spin on the ball that it nullified the effect of the Tezuka Phantom. And, the only one who Tezuka knew that could achieve such spin and power was Ryoma when he used his Samurai Drive.

And Tezuka knew that Sanada, even if he trained for years, would never be able to activate the Pinnacle of Perfection. His heart was too guarded and he cared too much about winning. Of course, the same thing could be said about Tezuka, since the two had very similar personalities. Sanada's only hope was to create an amount of spin that could, literally, rip the muscles in his arms.

And, so, the result of the match was inevitable. As Sanada became more and more frustrated, he had less and less control, losing any possibility of ever achieving the incredible spin he'd need to win the match.

So, Tezuka won the match 6-3. Seigaku cheered while the Rikkai regulars congratulated Tezuka and tried to console their vice captain. The only one who was able to do this was Yukimura.

"Sanada, don't beat yourself up about this. Tezuka has obviously trained far harder than he should have. I'm impressed that you were able to get three games off of him." When Sanada failed to respond, Yukimura added, "And, I'll personally help you train, and see if Renji can do anything to help you beat the Tezuka Phantom."

Sanada lightened at this, and moved back to the other Rikkai players. Yukimura turned to Tezuka, and asked, "So, do you need me to announce the next match, or are you all set, Tezuka?"

"Ah, I'm fine. Are you still going to referee?"

"Of course."

And, with that, Tezuka went to address the regulars.

* * *

Ryuuzaki Sumire was waiting outside the surgery room, hoping for word about Kawamura. At that moment, a nurse walked out with a frown on her face.

"So," Sumire began, "how is he?"

The nurse sighed. That was NEVER a good sign.

"Well, we've realigned the bone. However, I need to tell you something, Ryuuzaki-san. If you'd take a seat, I'll explain the situation."

Sumire took a seat; this was not going the way she had hoped.

"Well, when you brought Kawamura-san here, you noticed that part of the bone had pierced the skin, correct?" Sumire nodded, and the nurse continued. "The truth of the matter is that was the largest piece of bone left in his leg. Bt the way, what exactly happened to him to put him in that condition?"

"A tennis ball slammed into his leg at an inhuman speed," she replied with a sigh.

"Wow. Anyway, apparently that shattered his leg. There were approximately one hundred fragments of bone floating around in his leg. Luckily, Japan's best orthopedic surgeon works at this hospital. He was able to reassemble the bone rather quickly."

"Okay, so what about his future?" Sumire managed to ask through her anxiety.

"Well, he'll be able to walk after some physical therapy. But, as for his ability to play tennis…I don't think he'll ever play tennis again. I'm sorry."

Sumire gasped. Yes, Kawamura said that he'd stop playing tennis once he reached high school, but his father had other plans. After he saw how much fun his son had playing tennis, he refused to teach Takashi any tricks of the trade if he didn't take up tennis once more. Kawamura hadn't exactly complained too much, he truly loved to play tennis, and there would have been a void in his heart that tennis had taken up.

Now, however, it looked like he wasn't going to play tennis anyway.

"A-are you sure?" she asked hesitantly.

The nurse nodded, reluctantly. "That was the surgeon's judgment, and he's seen hundreds of tennis players end their careers from injuries less severe than this."

"Well, can I see him, at least?"

"I'm afraid he won't wake up for several hours. He lost a lot of blood, and we had to use powerful anesthetics to neutralize the pain."

With a nod, Ryuuzaki Sumire rose to her feet. "Thank you for doing everything you could to help Kawamura."

"Of course, Ryuuzaki-san."

Seigaku's coach walked off, her last though being, "What else could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

**AN:** Aww...I shouldn't have done that to Taka-san, but I had to for future events. I might have done a little Sanada bashing, but it was my personal take on his character. Oh, by the way, has anyone else noticed that Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami is portrayed as better than Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami? In the Nationals, for example, Tezuka activated Saiki after Hyakuren. Personally, I think the latter is way better than the former. If my take on it is correct, Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami focuses the Muga around the mind, exponentially increasing one's cognitive abilities and giving them the ability to 'foresee' the next point. However, if the opponent does something new or unexpected, it can break that pinnacle. Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami, on the other hand, allows the user to increase the power and speed of a return twofold and decreases the rate at which one loses energy. Whatever, maybe I'm just overanalyzing it.

Oh, this is probably the last update for a while. School starts the day after I uploaded this chapter. So for about a week or two, I might not have time to write, sorry!

And, there's a poll on my profile that I'd like people to vote on.

So, yeah, the usual. Review, and tell me if anything's wrong with this chapter. Just don't be a jerk about it, 'cause that would be so uncool. See ya next chapter!


	12. Synchro

**AN:** Wow, sorry for the delay, you guys. School's been brutal. With ~4 AP classes, I've had tons of homework. Plus, I'm the web designer for my robotics team, and I didn't know very much when I started. So, I've been ridiculously busy and have had almost no free time. I actually punched this out in two very separate sittings. So, anyway, enough about that.

To my reviewers, thank you so much. I believe I've responded to all the reviews for chapter eleven. From now on, I will respond to all reviews on chapters after the tenth one. If you've stuck with my story that far, you deserve it.

Anyway, this is my longest chapter yet! By the title, you should be able to figure out who's playing. Also, this is the first chapter where I really make my own moves/techniques, so bear with the names if they aren't exactly great. So, yeah, here's chapter 12, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own (New) Prince of Tennis. Oh, well, I'll live.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Synchro**

Tezuka cleared his throat. This announcing thing was getting old really quickly. But, it had to be done. The bespectacled captain swept his gaze across the thirteen regulars in front of him (Yukimura was in the umpire chair, Kawamura and Ryoma were at the hospital, and Tezuka couldn't stand before himself. It just wasn't physically possible.). Those that had played thus far were a bit tired, but they were also looking forward to a nice show. The others were all anxious to play. After all, it wasn't everyday that one was able to play against such skilled opponents.

Tezuka grinned. Mentally, of course; he had to uphold the stoic captain image that made him so popular. The next match, though not exactly surprising, would be quite a display. With a gesture, he silenced all players present.

"Doubles 1: Kikumaru Eiji and Oishi Shuichiro of Seigaku versus Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwahara of Rikkai. Would you four please step onto the court at this time?"

While the four players and the other Seigaku club members cheered, the other regulars groaned slightly. Why was it always those guys?

"Aw, Tezuka-buchou," Momoshiro complained, "couldn't you be a little more original?" The stern glare he received told him that no, he could not have been more original. And, he better shut up if he didn't want to run an ungodly number of laps.

"Saa…I believe he is just pairing up players of equal caliber. Isn't that right, _Tezuka_?" Fuji asked. The spiky-haired junior shivered slightly at the malice emanating from Seigaku's tensai, but tried to hide it. At the moment, most of it was directed at Momoshiro and Tezuka. But, there was a small portion sent toward Niou.

Instead of a spoken reply, Fuji received a nod, confirming his statement. This angered the boy. What, was he not good enough for a simple "yes"?

For the moment, however, Fuji pushed this to the back of his mind. Although this match was going to be interesting, it would lack the novelty of the Nationals. Therefore, rather than paying attention, he focused on the next part of his plan. Or, more importantly, how to enact said plan. Oh yes, Momoshiro, Tezuka, and maybe even Niou would be in for a world of pain.

* * *

Itoshiko Akina was incredibly frustrated at the moment. And rather confused, but mostly frustrated.

Ryoma's condition was the antithesis of stability. One moment, his heartbeat would be normal. The next, it had plummeted or skyrocketed. There was also the fact that his neural activity levels were far higher than they should have been.

Itoshiko looked over the facts. Ryoma's condition should look more like this: a stable heart rate and semi-low neural activity. Basically, his situation was an extended period of sleep. So why was his body going crazy?

The doctor stepped into the room once more and blinked. He rushed to the bed. There was sweat on the boy's brow. Itoshiko checked Ryoma's temperature. It was only slightly higher than normal. He checked the rest of the boy's figure. The symptoms of slight fatigue were obvious.

If it weren't for the random drop heart rate, Itoshiko would have thought the symptoms were those of a person undergoing physical exertion or exercise. Maybe even playing a sport. His eyes widened to inhuman proportions. No, it couldn't be…could it? There was only one way to find out.

If he was right, this could explain everything. Itoshiko called a nurse into the room. After giving her instructions to pull another doctor into the room to act as a substitute, he gathered some materials and rushed off to the nearest place he could think of to test his hypothesis: Seishun Gakuen.

* * *

Atobe blinked in surprise. So, it looked like there was more to this than they'd first thought. It was interesting that Fuji could have acted like this previously. That meant Ryoma wasn't the only person who could put the tensai in such a state. However, Atobe's musings were cut short.

"What do you mean," Oshitari asked, "by 'it happened before'?"

Saeki turned his head to the blue-haired boy. But, it didn't seem as though he was looking at Oshitari. More like…past him.

"It happened about four years ago. You know, before he went to Seigaku. As you know, Fuji is a very protective person. Especially when it comes to the people important to him. These include, but may not be limited to, Yuuta, Yumiko, me, and, apparently, Ryoma. It takes something special to become one of his 'precious people'. But, the point is, he would protect them with his life if he could. Most of the time, that's fine. But, if one of them is hurt, Fuji loses control. That's when things go wrong. Very wrong."

_A small, brown-haired boy of roughly four feet in height backed up into the support pole for the swing set. Yet again, one of the taller kids in the class had chosen to bully him. Said bully was advancing upon him like a predator stalked a cornered victim. 'Damn it,' the boy thought, 'why did it have to be today of all days?' _

_It eluded him as to why anyone would want to harm a fellow tennis player. That's one of the main aspects of tennis. It developed friendships. _

_He paused in his thoughts, though. Usually, the idiot harassing him would just verbally assault him for a few minutes and leave, thinking he'd intimidated the smaller boy. This time, however, it looked like he wanted to hurt him._

"_Ha! You actually think you have what it takes to be a good tennis player?" the taller boy asked in a mocking voice. "You'll never be as good as your brother. You're too short, pipsqueak." The other boys laughed. _

_That was one thing Yuuta never understood. His brother was also short for his age, why did it matter? Oh well, it was time to retaliate. _

"_Hey!" Yuuta yelled. "Shut up! Don't compare me to my brother. We're completely different." The bully growled. _

"_Don't tell me to shut up, runt!" he howled, slugging Yuuta in the gut. He coughed up some blood as he sank to his knees. _

"_D-don't call me a r-runt, then," Yuuta gasped in pain. "Th-that kid n-next to you is shorter than I am."_

"_I told you to…SHUT UP!" the bully screamed, punching the smaller brunette in the face. A sickening crunch filled the air. Tears formed in Yuuta's eyes as he felt blood run down his face. A tingle of fear engulfed his limbs. _

"_Dude, don't you think that was kinda harsh?" one of the other boys asked, slightly frightened by the taller boy's actions._

"_Yeah, we should get out of here before someone finds out," another added._

"_No," the bully replied. "Let me finish showing this midget why he'll never be a tennis player." He turned back and kicked Yuuta in the stomach._

_The younger Fuji brother curled into a ball, trying to escape the pain. But, the world started to fade as blow after blow rained down upon him. Just before he passed out completely, he heard a familiar voice._

"_What. The. Hell. Do. You. Think. You're. Doing?" Fuji Syuusuke hissed, his voice filled with fury and venom. _

_As the world faded to black, Yuuta heard screams of pain._

Saeki sighed as he finished the story.

"I was with Fuji when he showed up at that playground. When he saw his little brother being beaten like that, he ripped those kids apart. I only gathered the other information when Yuuta woke up and told us what happened."

"What happened to those other little bastards?" Atobe asked, a tinge of anger in his voice.

"Well, Fuji did a real number on them. Actually, his ferocity scared the hell out of me. There were ten kids that day, including the bully. Six of them ended up with minor injuries. Three were sent to the hospital with broken bones and deep cuts. The bully, himself, ended up in ICU for a week. He had seven broken bones, a damaged lung, possible brain damage, and he was in a coma for five days."

Atobe whistled in surprise. That was very, very bad.

"So, basically, we could be facing something similar to that scenario?" he asked.

Saeki nodded. "How badly was Ryoma injured?"

"Ah, that's actually a complicated situation. Originally, Momoshiro hit him in the face, knocking him out. Before you ask, much of the issue was psychological. Ryoma has been out for three days already, today being the fourth. According to Inui's calculations, he probably won't wake up for another five days after today. But, in reality, Ryoma should have woken up two days ago. The injuries would only have caused a state of unconsciousness for about five hours. This means the gaki is going through some psychological issue. And, he's taking his sweet time about it, leaving us to deal with that insane third-year known to many as Fuji Syuusuke."

The white-haired boy frowned. This was going to be worse than last time. Far worse. Unless they did something to stop it.

* * *

"Nya, Oishi, Oishi! What strategy are we going to use?" Eiji asked energetically.

"Eiji," Oishi reprimanded lightly, "this isn't going to be an easy match."

"Nya, what are you talking about? We'll just crush them with Synchro!"

Oishi shook his head slightly. There was no point in arguing with the hyperactive red-head. He, of all people, should know that, so why was did he even bother?

"Okay, Eiji. If that's what you want to do, we'll activate Synchro right from the beginning and destroy them in six straight games."

"Yosh!" Eiji cried, bouncing with joy. When the two synchronized, he felt complete. It felt like there was a part of him that was missing until Oishi filled it.

"Okay," Yukimura began, "because Tezuka was the first to serve last match, Marui-kun will serve first, then Eiji-kun, followed by Jackal, and finally Oishi. So, then, Marui-kun, would you kindly start the match?"

Hearing his name, said boy stopped chewing and blew a bubble. After it popped, he said, "Sure, Yukimura-buchou."

He tossed a ball into the air, bent backward slightly, and served. He dashed to the net, setting himself up for a volley. Jackal, meanwhile, moved to the baseline, ready to retrieve any balls Marui missed.

A nanosecond later, the ball whipped by the stunned Rikkai regular.

Then, the two felt the familiar aura coming from across the court.

Eiji and Oishi were standing side-by-side, wispy whitish-blue vapors swirling around them. They eyes were a golden yellow, and their movements were identical.

"Synchro level 2," the Golden Pair said in unison.

Marui tilted his head in confusion. "Level 2? How's that different than regular Synchro?"

From the sidelines, Inui smacked his forehead in incredulity. "You mean besides the obvious?"

The gum-chewer turned to the data player. "Huh?"

"…For one, unlike the previous two times, they're speaking. That means, along with all the other benefits of Synchro, they are also conscious this time. Also, those two have been working incredibly hard on something that even I don't know about. Basically, you two are screwed."

For some reason unknown to the Seigaku regulars, Marui and Jackal shared a glance, grinning.

"Heh…we'll see about that."

And so, the match resumed, with the Golden Pair winning every point for the first three games. The Rikkai pair didn't fail to notice that the synchronized team hadn't pulled off anything unusual.

Then, of course, the Seigaku pair did. It was now Oishi's serve. Eiji tensed slightly, prepared for the next move. As the ball flew over the net, Seigaku's redhead used his Seal Step, making four projections. With himself included, it totaled at five. These five "clones" spread evenly across the court. When the return came, two of the Eiji's pulled off Hyoutei's Silver Pair's Pile Mirage. They moved in unison, on behind the other, throwing off the opponents' predictions.

"Inui-senpai," Momoshiro questioned, "what's going on? I thought Synchro Level 2 was supposed to be way better."

The data man's glasses glinted. "You'll see, Momo. Just remember this: In Synchro, the doubles partners don't have to communicate verbally."

Again, Eiji formed five clones which spread out across the court. Jackal noticed that Oishi stood at the center baseline, his arms crossed. Thus, he lobbed the ball, hoping to get over the multiple Eiji's. However, one of the clones grabbed another, throwing him into the air. The airborne Eiji performed a modified version of Momoshiro's Dunk Smash.

"Saa…I see what's going on," Fuji quietly stated. As if they were all in Synchro, the watching regulars turned to the tensai.

"Inui was correct when he said they didn't need to communicate verbally. Of course, they don't have to communicate at all; their minds are linked. Because of this bond, Oishi is able to control Eiji's movements. Not literally, but he directs him. It's similar to Oishi Territory."

The next statement by the Golden Pair confirmed his theory.

"You wanted to see the power of Synchro Level 2? Well, here it is. Synchro formation - Oishi Territory: Total Control," they said together.

"Plus," added Eiji with his signature grin, "that's only the first of three formations we created together."

That was all the Rikkai pair needed to hear. They pulled off their weights and turned to each other. With a nod, an aura formed around the two. It was almost identical to the Golden Pair's, but there was something slightly mysterious about it.

To say the rest were shocked would be an understatement. Some of the more animated regulars, like Momoshiro and Kirihara, were freaking out. The more mild of the group had wide eyes and slightly agape mouths. Even Yukimura's eyes widened. Tezuka looked as though his body was trying to break free of the stoic image it was constantly kept in. His eyes were twitching, trying to widen. So was his mouth. In fact, if it weren't for his incredible self-control, he would have been running in circles like the spiky-haired junior beside him.

"So, you two thought you were the only people capable of achieving Synchro? Well, it looks like you were sorely mistaken. We'll show you that Rikkai is truly superior. Synchro formation - Perfect Defense."

And so, the Synchro battle ensued.

* * *

"…ten…" Ryoma muttered as he hit a drop shot. Using Higa Chuu's infamous footwork, the shadow was at the net in an instant. As it hit a slightly clumsy return, Ryoma continued, "…eleven…"

With the opponent right at the net, the normal tactic would be to hit a lob over his or her head. But, with Shukuchihou, the shadow would easily be able to reach it. Therefore, Ryoma hit a powerful backhand cross shot, the ball slamming into the court.

"Twelve. Ha, I was right," the rookie said to himself.

The next point flashed through his mind in a maelstrom of images.

"Twenty-six shots," Ryoma stated, slightly startled by the size of the impending rally.

* * *

Echizen Rinko opened the front door to the Echizen home. When she did this, she expected a number of possible things to happen. The first was Karupin rushing to the door, hoping to find Ryoma. As expected, this occurred as a brown and white blur sped toward her. Rinko chuckled slightly as the cat stopped on a dime, almost tipping over.

She walked to over to the back porch, expecting to see her perverted husband. It came as a surprise, however, when she found the area deserted.

"I'll bet he's buying more of those _magazines_," she growled. But, this could be a good thing. This time, she would catch him with his "precious." Then, she would rip said "precious" in half, coat it in gasoline, and throw it in a bonfire. Yes…that would show him.

So, Rinko went decided to use this rare occurrence to accomplish one of the seldom completed tasks on her to-do list: relax.

Thus, she sat down on a couch, leaned back, and decided to wait for her husband to come home.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Echizen-san, but I don't believe you have the qualifications for this type of employment."

"A-ah, of course," Nanjiroh replied, "thank you for taking the time out of your busy day for my interview."

With a bow, the ex-pro sullenly left the office. This was the third place he'd tried, and the results had been the same. He just wasn't cut out for business.

"Damn it," he muttered as he left the office building. "What the hell can I do besides tennis?"

Nanjiroh's first thought of employ was, obviously, tennis-related. However, no sponsors would sign with him because of his age and retirement from the circuit. So, he tried to get a job as a trainer or coach. In fact, he would have been hired as a private tennis coach at a recreational facility, if it hadn't been for one woman. This woman was actually the manager of the place. And, apparently, Nanjiroh had tried to flirt with her on more than one occasion. This, of course, does not build a very positive reputation; and the lady kicked him out of the facility with threats of lawsuit.

Normally, because his wife was a very skilled attorney, this wouldn't have bothered him in the slightest. However, the ex-pro had learned long ago that it wasn't healthy to mess with an irate person of the female persuasion.

And, thus, he had fled from the area with the speed he'd built from so many years of tennis.

Unfortunately for Nanjiroh, every other tennis-related job was filled.

And that is what forced him to resort to the business district.

How had he applied for so many jobs so quickly? Amazing footwork, perseverance, and motivation in the form of angry women with whom he'd flirted.

He would only be able to check out a couple more places before he'd be forced to return home. For a moment, he considered the idea of working at…..less distinguished and professional places. Places that might be seen as non-T-rated… But, then an image formed in his mind. It depicted Rinko, having found out what he did for a living, throwing him through wall after wall, with no reprieve in sight. She was also stomping on a rather _sensitive _part of his anatomy. All told, it did not present a pretty picture.

Nanjiroh looked back up at the workplaces nearby. He spotted a flashy, but professional, wanted sign. As he stepped closer, he was able to distinguish the message on the sign:

**WANTED**

**Persons with mastery over the art of communication. All applicants must have the ability to confidently speak with potential customers. They must also show initiative, confidence, and responsibility. Personal salary depends upon the ability of the employee. Please see a secretary inside for further details and to set up an appointment.**

The, seemingly, limitless possibilities of this job intrigued Nanjiroh. Luckily, it was still open, so he stepped inside with a calm, even gait. His entrance attracted the attention of the only remaining secretary. The others had gone home for the day. She beckoned him forward. The pseudo-monk opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the woman behind the desk.

"I believe I can answer all you questions with a single word: Entrepreneurship."

* * *

In the Golden Pair's joint mindscape, Eiji and Oishi were discussing the match thus far and what to do about it. Rikkai's pair had evened the score in straight games, the score now three games all.

"_Nya~ Oishi! What should we do now?"_

"_Relax, Eiji," he replied, "we can just use the next Synchro formation."_

"_Yosh! What would I do without you Oishi?!"_

_Seigaku's mother-hen just chuckled in response._

* * *

The aura surrounding the Golden Pair warped slightly, and the color changed to a greener tint. Their demeanors were completely different now. They looked as though there were slightly frustrated with something.

"Synchro formation - Unrivaled Aggression."

As soon as Jackal served the first ball, both moved forward. Eiji hit a return, and the two continued moving to the net.

Marui was at it in an instant, hitting it to the net, the ball landing on it. As it started to roll down, Oishi flew forward and hit a Moon Volley from the unusual position. But, Jackal was there before it touched the court, volleying it toward Eiji. Said redhead was ready and slammed the ball into the empty space in the court. The other redhead was at it again, hitting an incredibly high lob.

However, the Golden Pair was prepared for this eventuality. Eiji formed six clones with his Seal Step. The first hopped onto Oishi's shoulders, the next doing the same to the first clone. The final Eiji nimbly climbed the human ladder and jumped.

"Synchro Smash!" he cried, smashing to an open area. But, the Rikkai pair was already at the ball's destination. Hitting the ball together, one racket behind the other, they copied Jyousei Shounan's Tanaka Twins' Duo Union.

Oishi dove from under the pile of Eiji's, countering the return through sheer willpower. Jackal met it head-on, flipping the ball over Oishi's head.

Eiji, who was still airborne, pushed off the chest of another clone, and sped toward the neon orb. He hit a between-the-legs shot in mid-flip as he landed. Marui returned this, the ball bouncing off the net-pole. Both Oishi and Eiji rushed toward it, the black-haired boy getting there first. He caught the ball with the middle of the racket face, the ball on the side facing Eiji. Oishi spun, the ball staying still, and hit a forehand with serious power. In fact, it was enough to break through Jackal's racket.

Everyone was silent for several moments, stunned by the incredible display of skill and teamwork. Then, the cheering began.

"Sugoi!"

"Those guys are amazing!"

"Go Golden Pair!"

"Come on Jackal and Marui!"

All four doubles players were smiling broadly; this was the most exciting match they had ever played in their lives.

And, so, the rallies continued into a tiebreak. Each time, they pulled out a new move or increased their efforts. All the while, the Golden Pair were discussing an important matter in their mindscape.

"_Oishi, should we try the __**final**__ formation?" Eiji inquired._

"_Not unless we have to Eiji. The equal skill levels have created this amazing match, so we don't want to crush them and end the match early. Plus, we haven't really completed it, so it might not be effective."_

"_Nya~ I guess you're right."_

* * *

Fuji had been pulled from his musings in the fourth game of the match, when the Golden Pair had started using the Synchro formation – Oishi Territory: Total Control. The tensai had expected a match of the same caliber as that in the Nationals. How very wrong he was.

The match had set the kindling of an idea into the flame of a plan. He'd been able to develop his next plot of revenge in during those first three games, but hadn't been able to finish thinking. However, when the match rose to new levels of play, Fuji pulled some ideas from it and added them to his plan.

Now, though, his attention was focused solely on the match before him. The level of skill was far higher than any Fuji had ever witnessed, possibly including Ryoma's match with Yukimura. The strength of the bonds between partners remained uncontested.

It appeared, however, that the match was at its end. But, the tensai had a feeling the Golden Pair was holding back slightly. Oh well, another thought for another time.

* * *

Marui was at his limit. Even if the redhead wouldn't admit it, Jackal knew instinctively that they were on the edge of failure. It wasn't exactly a match to be ashamed of, though. This simple tennis match had escalated, to say the least.

With the tiebreak score at 207-208, Seigaku leading, it came as no surprise when Marui fell to his knees in exhaustion. Jackal did his best to cover for his fallen partner, but it was a futile effort. The ball flew past him, effectively ending the match.

Both pairs deactivated Synchro in unison. The three who had been standing fell to the ground. Marui, himself, passed out. However, because it was only due to exhaustion, there was no cause for alarm, and visiting the hospital, yet again, would be pointless.

The other three slowly followed him into the darkness, all of them having gone far past their limits. Amidst the cheers, Momoshiro, Inui, Sanada, and Yukimura each strolled onto the court and picked up a respective teammate, carrying them over to a grassy patch of earth beneath a nearby tree.

* * *

Tezuka was beyond pleased with the performance of his fellow regulars. It had been a match for the history books, going beyond the skill level of some pros.

As he waited for the four conscious regulars to return, the brunette looked back at the matches so far. There had been the match between Inui and Renji, with Inui winning easily. Tezuka looked over at Renji, who had been completely broken apart by the match. It appeared he was recovering, as he was now talking to Kirihara. The next match had been between the Niou-Yagyuu pair and the Kaidoh-Kawamura pair. Due to an unfortunate accident, Kawamura had been sent to the hospital, forcibly ending the match. Following that fiasco had been his match with Sanada. Due to the huge difference in training regimens, Tezuka had won the match with relatively little effort. But all of those matches paled in comparison to what he had just seen.

The four carriers now back, Tezuka turned to the regulars.

"That completes the Doubles 1 match. The final two matches are singles matches. In five minutes, I will announce the next match. The four of you who haven't played yet might want to take the chance to warm-up."

Tezuka went back to his musings. No matter what, the following match couldn't compare to this one…could it?

* * *

**AN:** So, you got to see part of Fuji's past. Don't worry, there's much more to come. Next chapter will have a nice long flashback between Saeki and Fuji that none of you will expect (maybe). Some of you may have noticed that Ryoma's getting very little spotlight in the last few chapters. That's more of a writing error than anything else; a rookie mistake. I progressed his match too quickly, so now I have to extend it by only putting small bits in here and there.

So, yeah, the usual. If there are any story/character/grammatical inconsistencies, please tell me. It really helps as a writer to know when you are making mistakes. And, REVIEW.

Oh, by the way, visit my profile for updates on the status of my stories/chapters. The issues mentioned in the Author's Note before the chapter will persist for a while, so updates will be slow. And, if you have the time, go and read my other story A Day in the Lives of the Freshmen Trio. The language is a little extreme, but the humor is my way of lifting my mood after doing semi-dark stuff. So, yeah, thanks again to all my readers and reviewers....especially reviewers, you guys are AWESOME!

See ya in the next chapter!


	13. Friendship

**AN: **Wow...I haven't uploaded in a while, huh? I'm really sorry, you guys, but I've been stuck making a stupid website, and I didn't know much when I started. So, I've been learning all about HTML, CSS, and Flash. Ugh...oh well, I don't want to keep you from the latest chapter.

A huge thank you to all my reviewers. And, you'll get an even larger one if you actually stuck with this story for, what? Like a month-long delay? Anyway, thanks again.

So, yeah, this chapter isn't quite as long as some of my others, but I really wanted to get this out, and I've only gotten some free time recently. Oh, that also means this isn't exactly proofread. Oh well...here's chapter thirteen, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** No, I don't own Prince of Tennis, or it's sequel, New Prince of Tennis. If the second was mine, the title would be much more creative.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Friendship**

Tezuka looked back at the list of matches in his hand. After a few seconds of staring, his eye twitched. This was imperceptible to all but Inui, Yukimura, and, of course, Fuji.

'Damn," was the one word going through Tezuka's mind.

"Okay, are the final four players ready?" When he saw that, indeed, they were ready, he continued. "Right. So, we are now on to Singles 2. This match will be between Kirihara Akaya of Rikkai and…"

* * *

"Entrepreneurship?" Nanjiroh asked inquisitively. "What the hell is that?"

The lady behind the desk chuckled. "If you'd like to sit down, I'd be more than happy to explain. By the way, to whom do I owe the honor?"

As the ex-pro sat down, he answered, "Echizen Nanjiroh."

An eyebrow rose at this. "Oh? As in Samurai Nanjiroh, the most famous Japanese pro tennis player to walk the Earth in the past century? No offence, but what would you be doing here?"

Nanjiroh nodded as she asked her questions. He sighed before responding. "That, I'm afraid to say, is a very long story. I might be able to tell you some other time, but, for now, I'd just like to hear about this entrepreneurship thing. Then I have to get home before my wife kills me."

"Ah, I understand, my husband is the same way. It's a little creepy, actually…"

The pseudo-monk blinked. "Umm…do you think you could start, then?"

"Oh, of course, my apologies. Anyway, entrepreneurship, to put it simply, is basically running a small business. In this case, you would be a salesman of sorts. We supply a specified number of products for you to sell. If you go over what we provide, you must purchase the items from us. However, being an employee, you can do so at discounted rates, which means you earn quite a profit.

"There are several benefits to this line of work. For one, we provide health, life, and emergency insurance. Another is that you set your own hours. And, the potential income is enormous. In fact, one of my friends makes many millions of yen, probably over 500 million.

"However, there are downsides to this work style. You have to maintain a minimum monthly quota or you will be removed immediately. Also, the only support you receive comes in the form of the small number of free supplies. Oh, and there's the fact that for the first week you receive only approximately 10,000 yen. It's a condensed probation period where we monitor your progress and give a few pointers."

Nanjiroh stared. Only 10,000 yen?!? He wouldn't be able to help out as quickly as he'd hoped it seemed. But, it was better than nothing.

Nanjiroh grimaced. It would have to be enough.

* * *

"…Fuji Syuusuke," concluded Tezuka.

At first, many of the regulars groaned once more, it was another match they'd seen before. Then, the Seigaku players blinked. As one, they slowly turned their heads toward Fuji. Then, toward Kirihara.

"Poor kid…" they muttered.

"What was that?" Fuji asked with a smile.

"N-nothing," they replied, backing away in fear.

"That's what I thought," the tensai said. A smirk flashed across his face as he strolled to the court.

At the same time, Kirihara Akaya was grinning. He finally had the chance to get his revenge for that disgraceful match way back. If only he knew what would happen. Well, then again, if he did, he'd run far, far away, and we wouldn't have a match, now would we?

* * *

Saeki stared at nothing as he was bombarded by discordant thoughts. Sections of his past, which he had attempted to smother into oblivion, resurfaced so vividly it was as though he had gone back in time.

Before either of the Hyoutei players asked another question, he started.

"Six months before the incident with Yuuta, Fuji and I became friends…"

"_Ah! I left my book in class again"_

_Fuji ran to the classroom and over to his seat. Finding his book, he turned to leave…only to find a group of boys behind him._

"_Well, well, what do we have here? A little kid all by himself? Shouldn't you be with your friends?"_

"_Ha! I bet he doesn't have any! That's why he's still here. He wants to wait for everyone else to leave so he doesn't feel lonely!"_

_Fuji winced. Even though he would have left already, the other boy's words weren't far from the truth. He really didn't have any friends. It wasn't for lack of trying, though. The brown-haired boy had been outgoing and friendly to everyone he met, but he was still avoided for some reason. It had been like that since he'd started school. And, it hurt so much to be alone all the time, it __**hurt**__…_

"_Sh-shut up!" he cried, his voice pathetic even to his own ears. The others just laughed at the weak attempt at retaliation._

"_So, Hajime-kun, what should we do to him?"_

_Hajime, obviously the leader, replied, "Maybe we should just take his 'precious' books. They seem to be like his best friends."_

_Again, Fuji grimaced. In truth, he cherished the books he had. They were an easy way to escape from the cruel, hate-filled world. _

_He tried to keep them back, but he had no chance against five boys at once. They ripped the book from his hand, and pulled his backpack away from him._

"_Ha! What's this? __The Basics of Forming a Good Friendship__. He's pathetic!" Hajime laughed. Then, he pulled another object from the bag._

"_Hey, kid, nice camera, I think I'll just take it," the black-haired boy chuckled._

"_NO!" Fuji yelled. The camera had been given to him by his mother for his birthday, two days ago...the day before she died. It was all he had left to remember her by. She had told him that she thought he'd be an amazing photographer, and he had taken up the hobby with gusto, the very same day. His mother had been absolutely correct; the photos were of the same quality as globally-known professionals._

_Fuji lunged at Hajime, prepared to fight to the death for the treasured memory. However, the other four stopped him, holding him back by his arms and legs._

"_Oh? Do you want to fight me for this?" the other boy asked, waving the camera in Fuji's face, mocking him._

"_B-bastard…" the brunette hissed. "Why the hell are you doing this?"_

"_Hmm? Why? Because you took away my chances of being the top of the class."_

_Fuji stared. "That's it?!? That's the only reason you're stealing all of my belongings and tormenting me?"_

_The black-haired boy chuckled again. "Of course, that's all the reason I need to do this, anyway."_

"_Hajime! What the hell are you doing?"_

_The six boys in the room turned to the doorway. In the threshold stood a seething, white-haired boy. _

"_Saeki…" Hajime spat, "what are you doing here?"_

_The white-haired boy, apparently named Saeki, glared at the five bullies. _

"_What did __**Fuji**__ ever do to you guys?"_

_The brunette stared. Someone among the masses had remembered his name! The revelation almost overwhelmed the boy's badly damaged psyche. Fuji swayed, his vision swimming as his consciousness flickered._

"_Fuji!" Saeki turned his gaze to Hajime. "What did you guys do to him?"_

"_What? We didn't do anything!"_

"_Uh, Hajime-kun, we stole all his stuff…"_

"_Yeah, and he seems kinda attached to that camera, and you were taunting him with it..."_

"_Shut up!"_

_Fuji fell to his knees, his mind awhirl with rampant thoughts. Someone was actually defending him?_

"_Seriously, what the hell is wrong with him?" Saeki cried, rushing to the semi-conscious brunette._

"_I don't know. This has never happened before!" Hajime replied hysterically._

_The black-haired boy fell backward as Saeki tried to help Fuji up. The camera in his hands flew into the air. _

_Fuji's world slowed as he watched the camera fall to the ground. _

"_Damn it! __**Mizuki**__, catch it!" Hajime didn't move a finger._

_As it impacted with the floor, it shattered irreparably. _

"_No…" Fuji whispered. His already disoriented mind shut down. Fuji crumpled to the ground._

"_Fuji! Stay with me, damn it!"_

_Silence was all that answered him. Saeki turned to yell at the others, only to find the room empty._

"What happened after that?" Atobe asked, clearly interested in the story.

Saeki grinned sheepishly. "Well, I panicked and called the hospital. I found out he'd just passed out from a combination of lack of sleep and psychological trauma. That's also when Fuji told me what happened in the room before I arrived."

"This is very interesting, but what does it have to do with our problem right now?" Oshitari interjected.

Saeki turned to the other boy, "Everything…"

* * *

"24…" The ball flew in a curved path toward the shadow.

"25…"

Ryoma pushed off with his left foot, careening toward his opponent's return. With a flick of his wrist, he put a significant degree of spin on the ball. It flew lazily toward the net, floating upward slightly. Falling just past the net, it curled backward, touching it and rolling down.

"26." The freshman felt a small bit of comfort in the fact that he'd been right twice thus far. But, there was something wrong. Something he couldn't quite hone in on that just wasn't quite right with the picture.

Then he felt it. Looking up, Ryoma saw the shadow flicker, a black haze surrounding it.

"Please don't tell me that's Sanada's 'In'." As his mind raced ahead once more due to Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami, his suspicion was confirmed. Ryoma's mind blanked, nullifying the power he had released.

"…Damn."

* * *

"What do you mean 'Everything'?" Oshitari inquired.

"Well, a month after we met, the two of us had become relatively good friends, but…"

"_Yo, Syuusuke, wanna go play tennis at the street courts?"_

"_Not really…"_

_Saeki tilted his head in concern. "Eh? What's wrong?"_

"…_Nothing…" Fuji replied, slowly walking away._

"_Damn it," the white-haired boy muttered, "he still won't open up to anyone."_

_Fuji meandered his way toward his favorite haunting grounds. He stood on a cliff overlooking the city. From his vantage point, the cars were ants, steadily marching toward their destination. _

_The brunette glanced at the edge of the precipice, grimacing in remembrance. There had been several times when he had been tempted to jump. Just to escape. At the time, he didn't have any friends beside his siblings, so it hadn't been like many people would miss him. However, after befriending Saeki, his world had been turned upside down. His friend had found out about the thoughts of suicide and had been furious. He had grabbed Fuji by the collar, forced him to sit in a nearby chair, and told him exactly why he should never do such a thing. Even with just two friends, that was two people who would be hurt by such an action. Now he had three, and was slowly gaining more. _

_Fuji lay down on his back and stared at the clouds, thinking about his reason for seeking this solitude... _

_It was one month since his mother died. His father, still overcome by grief, had given in to despair, and had killed himself. The gunshot had awoken the boy in the middle of the night, and he had gone to investigate. As he had approached his parents' room, though, his twenty year old sister, Yumiko, stopped him. There were tears coursing down her gentle face._

"_Syuu-kun, d-don't go in there, p-please…" she choked out through the tears._

"_What?" Fuji asked, frightened by his sister's lack of composure, "Why, what happened?"_

_Yumiko could only shake her head as she sobbed. Breaking free of her grasp, Fuji ran toward the doorway, his sister calling after him. What he saw would burn itself into his mind forever._

_Blood. There was blood everywhere. Fuji stared in horror at the gruesome scene before him. His father was lying on the ground, a gun in his hand, half of his head blown apart. Bits of brain were hanging from a shattered skull. There was a pool of blood around his head, with more splattered on the bed and other furniture._

_He couldn't take anymore. Fuji fell to all fours and vomited. Before he passed out, his sister picked him up and took him to his bed._

"_Night, Syuu-kun…" she whispered as she went to check on the youngest member of the family._

_...Fuji's vision returned to the present. A cloud moved, allowing the sun to shine in his face. He brought up an arm to block out the light, and was surprised to find moisture. He'd cried._

"_Syuusuke?"_

_Fuji blinked. He moved his arm to reveal a concerned face topped with white hair. _

"_S-saeki? What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice hoarse for some reason._

"_I was worried about you. C'mon, tell me what's wrong."_

_The brunette looked the other boy in the face, searching for something, anything that told him not to trust Saeki. Not finding a single thing, he decided to finally open up to someone._

"_My...my dad...killed himself last night."_

"_WHAT?!? Damn, are you okay?" Saeki was shocked to say the least. Fuji just shrugged. _

"_B-but...I thought about...you know," he replied, glancing at the edge of the cliff._

_Saeki frowned. "Well, we'll have to do something about that, but tell me what happened last night. And, please, don't skip over things. Get it all out. You'll feel better. Trust me."_

_Fuji's eyes widened. Trust me. Those were words he'd only heard a handful of times in his life. _

"_O-okay..."_

_And, so, the elder Fuji brother spilled out his soul. The two talked about much that day. They revealed their secrets to each other, and became the best of friends._

"Wow..." Atobe said, a bit deflated by the tale.

"Just remember one thing, you two," Saeki warned. The two Hyoutei boys gave him their full attention. "Don't ever tell this to anyone else. If you do...I'll kill you."

Atobe snorted. "Really? Such a clichéd phrase ill becomes you, Saeki."

The boy addressed just stared back. "I'm serious. This is one of Fuji's most closely guarded secrets."

"Of course," Oshitari calmly replied. "I hate to be so nosy, but is there anything else we'd need to know to unravel this problem?"

"Geez...straight to the point again, huh?" Saeki raked a hand through his hair. Sighing, he continued, "...Yeah, but this is probably a huge breach in trust...I'd rather tell you guys tomorrow, if that's okay."

"Sure, do you think we could stay for dinner, or should we just leave?"

"I have no idea; you should probably ask my mom."

However, before anyone could move, his mother was at the couch.

"Of course you can stay for dinner, we'd be honored to play host to the heir of such a prestigious corporation."

"Great, my mom's star-struck," Saeki muttered.

"What did you say, Kojirou?" his mother asked oh-so sweetly.

"Nothing, mom, nothing at all."

* * *

Fuji served yet again. He smirked as he looked over at his opponent.

"Kirihara-kun...I feel sorry for you."

The serve had far more power than any of the Seigaku regulars could remember. Momoshiro poked Inui's shoulder to get his attention.

"Inui-senpai, when the hell did Fuji-senpai get so strong? That was almost as powerful as my Bullet Serve."

"I'm not sure Momo, but I'm disappointed that I didn't know about this sooner."

The two turned back to the match in time to see Fuji take yet another point. The score was now 4-0, in the tensai's favor. Oishi glanced at his stopwatch. It read "0:05:28."

"No way! He's crushing the record for shortest match of any known tournament."

They watched as Fuji took the fifth game in four shots; eight if you included Kirihara's. However, instead of taking the match in less than eight minutes, the brunette's demeanor changed completely. He began emitting a darker, more dangerous aura. Everyone shivered as the temperature seemed to drop at least ten degrees.

"Akaya-kun, forfeit before you get seriously hurt!" Yukimura called out.

"Are you crazy, Yukimura-buchou? If I give up now, I'll never be able to redeem myself."

"The fool..." the blue-haired captain whispered forlornly. All he could do was watch and hope his kouhai would be able to walk off the court at the end of it.

"Idiot," yelled Fuji, "you should have listened to your captain."

And, with that, he pulled out another tennis ball, gripping it with his knuckles.

"Oh, come on! That's MY Knuckle Serve!" Kirihara cried indignantly.

"Too bad," was the only reply he got as Fuji served with as much power as he could put into the shot. It flew over the net, bounced, and slammed the second-year in the face. Kirihara fell backward from the force, clutching his cheek.

"Akaya-kun!" Yukimura hopped down from his seat and rushed over to the junior. He moved the boy's hand away from his face to look at the damage. When he saw the extent of it, he hissed. Kirihara's jaw was most likely broken, and several teeth knocked out. Blood was flowing freely from his mouth.

Kirihara turned his head and spat blood and saliva onto the court.

"Yukimura-buchou," he growled, "get off the court, I'm not finished with my match."

"But, Akaya-kun, your jaw's broken, you can't possibly win at this point. I-" Yukimura was cut short as a hand fell on his shoulder. The blue-haired boy looked up, surprised.

"Genichirou?" The capped senior just shook his head.

"Seiichi, come on, you have to get off the court, you're holding up the match. Akaya's not done with Fuji yet."

Yukimura just stared. Why were all the regulars so willing to get permanently injured if it meant winning a match?

"Fine, but, Akaya-kun, if your jaw gets injured again, I'm ending this."

"Understood, buchou."

The two kings of Rikkai walked back to their spots to watch the rest of the match.

Fuji shook with fury. The sight of such compassion angered him like nothing else. Why was it that some people had so many friends that genuinely cared for their well-being, while some were just left abandoned on the edge of society to fend for themselves? This question turned his thoughts back to Ryoma. And, of course, his absence led him back to those who would get between him and those precious to him.

"Why?!? Why do you, of all people, have so much to live for and so many people who care about you?" Fuji said, his voice rising every second.

"Die!" he yelled, serving a tennis ball with every drop of his soul behind it. The ball slammed into the court, making an indent similar to that made by Momoshiro's Dunk Smash. It then ricocheted, flying straight for his opponent's temple. Kirihara collapsed instantly, unconscious before he hit the ground. Rikkai was in action in the blink of an eye.

"Kirihara!"

"Kirihara-kun!"

"Akaya-kun!"

The seven seniors gathered around the fallen boy. Tezuka, meanwhile, was furious. He stalked over to Fuji, ready to remove him from the team.

"Oh, it's you, Tezuka. Going to kick me off the team?"

Seigaku's captain was surprised by the bitterness in the other boy's voice. Fuji continued.

"Fine. It's not like it matters anyway. It's just a couple of months till it'll be too cold to play outside. Then the club will end for the year, so I won't play tennis here again. Besides, this definitely matches my life, so it's par for the course."

The tensai pulled off his jersey. Holding it out to Tezuka, he said, "Here, I'm not part of the team anymore, so there's no point in me having this."

The bespectacled boy blinked. This was not expected at all. He'd been prepared to argue with an enraged Fuji, not a submissive, possibly depressed one. He sighed.

"No, Fuji, I'm not taking you off the team. Just...don't do that again, or I'll be forced to by the school."

"Tezuka, I don't want your pity," the tensai growled.

"It's not pity, Fuji, I just know how important tennis is to you and don't want to take it away if I don't have to."

Tezuka walked away, leaving a stunned Fuji. Someone actually cared enough to help him out at the risk of losing his own tennis privileges? He shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts. It didn't matter, he would go through with his plot for revenge, no matter what.

* * *

"Is he breathing?" Yukimura asked anxiously. Kirihara had become a surrogate little brother, and he did NOT want to lose him.

"Buchou," Yagyuu replied, "calm down. It was just a tennis ball. It was definitely enough to give him a concussion, though. Worst case scenario: He received a minute bit of brain damage, depending on where exactly he was hit and how he fell."

Renji continued for him. "Exactly. And, judging by the way he fell, I would guess a mild concussion will be the diagnosis. Do not worry, buchou, he should be fine."

The blue-haired boy was still worried. "Well, I think we should call an ambulance or at least take him to the hospital."

"Yukimura," Tezuka interjected after approaching, "there isn't anyone here of driving age...unless..." he turned to the surrounding Seigaku tennis players. "You three freshmen, go find a teacher that'll drive Kirihara to the hospital. Hurry, or I'll have Inui give you his latest drink."

The freshmen trio twitched when they saw the light glint off of Inui's glasses. They turned and dashed at nearly inhuman speeds, looking for the closest teacher.

"Okay, now that that's out of the way, we have to decide on something. It's getting rather late; it's only about an hour until dinner time. So, Yukimura, would you like to play your match, or would you prefer to just cancel it and head to the hospital with Kirihara?"

Yukimura's countenance darkened. He was suddenly extremely serious.

"Don't worry, Tezuka, I can finish my match before Akaya-kun is even brought to a car. Let's hurry up and do this."

"Okay," Tezuka replied. He turned to address all players present. "The next match will commence now. And, so, Singles 1 will now begin."

Everyone appeared eager to watch the final match.

"Yukimura Seiichi of Rikkai Dai versus..."

* * *

**AN:** Yay! Oh, before I forget, the salaries mentioned in yen are based off some site that said one dollar was worth almost 100 yen. If that's wrong, I'm sorry.

So, who guessed this match? Be honest. If you didn't, did you at least figure out who Kirihara was going up against from the hints at the beginning of the story? Haha, this is so much fun.

Yeah, this chapter is a lot darker than my other chapters. I don't know why, but I felt like returning to the original genres I put this story under. If the suicide scene wasn't accurate, that's because (thankfully) I've never seen what that sort of thing looks like. And, if you're doubting the sort of emotions the people felt and their reactions in the flashbacks, especially Fuji's, trust me, it can happen.

So, just a couple of questions. One, does anyone know who Yukimura's going up against? It's not hard, you just have to remember who still hasn't played. (Or, you could cheat and look back at the chapters in this arc.) And, the next chapter will be the end of the Rikkai match arc. So, I was wondering if you guys (and girls, although I see the word "guys" as neutral in gender, at least used in that context...) would rather have the next arc be with Fudoumine, Shitenhoji, or just a couple of chapters about a "normal" school day at Seigaku. But, even if you choose the third, I want to know which of the two schools you would rather see first. Oh, and one of the two won't be a tennis arc. The other could be, but I want the opinions of my readers. So, which school first, and should it be a tennis arc or not? Thanks everyone!

And now the typical. If I made any grammatical, plot line, or characterization errors, please tell me. And, review!

See ya in the next chapter! (Which probably won't take as long as this one did)


	14. Holding Strong

**AN:** WOW! I haven't updated this in forever. I'm sorry guys, but I was getting nauseous on the roller coaster of life. I was dealing with some pretty severe depression for a while. But, one of my best friends pulled me out of it. Then school got in the way. But, hey, I got second place in my category for the regional Science Fair. Then the Chemistry AP Exam. Oh, and then I finally got into a relationship with the love of my life. ^.^ (Haha, I wonder what would happen if she saw I put that on my fanfic.)

But, why am I telling you my life story? Anyway, I'd like to thank all those who reviewed, favorited, alerted, and added this to a C2. You people are what kept this story alive in the months that I've been away. Thanks again.

Anyway, here's the next chapter. It's the longest by quite a bit, and I hope the quality is as high as, or higher than, expected. At first, I was going to get rid of the Japanese, but the dialogue just didn't work without it. There's just something about the Prince of Tennis that seems to require it.

So, here's Chapter Fourteen. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything but my emotions and imagination.

* * *

**Chapter 14: Holding Strong**

"Yukimura Seiichi of Rikkai Dai versus Momoshiro Takeshi of Seishun Gakuen. Would both players please step onto the court?"

Several raised eyebrows and turned heads met this announcement. They knew that those were the final two players, but the match-up still surprised them. This was bound to be seriously one-sided. What could the two captains be thinking, pairing Momo up with a player who was, realistically, way out of his league?

However, the spiky-haired junior was ecstatic. Finally, he had the chance to measure his skills against such overwhelming opposition. Nearly as jittery as Eiji on a sugar high, he all but ran to the court.

Yukimura, on the other hand, was calm, having expected this match. Why? He requested it. Although all of Seigaku's players were exceptionally talented, Momo was the only opponent that interested him. The third years would move on to high school, so there was no point in facing them in a middle school environment. Besides, it was more interesting to test the core of next year's team. This narrowed the choices down to three possibilities: Ryoma, Kaidoh, and Momo. The freshman was in the hospital, so he was out by default. Kaidoh's style really didn't suit singles tennis as it did more so for doubles. So, the final option was the boy now standing before him, Momoshiro.

This was not to say that Rikkai's captain did not really want to play against Momo. The younger boy's style truly intrigued him, as it did not follow the normal pattern of aspiring geniuses. Unlike Tezuka and Ryoma, who focused mainly on technique, the co-captain-to-be played with his muscles and his senses. This instinctual form was, in many ways, difficult to predict because actions were determined in the fractions of a second between shots. This differed greatly from Ryoma's supposedly "erratic" style of play when using Muga no Kyouchi. The latter case was only unpredictable because it utilized many different shots from many different origins.

"Ah, Momoshiro-kun, I finally get the chance to test your mettle," Yukimura half-whispered. "It will be interesting to see how you handle the pressure of a National-level singles match."

The junior stared for a moment. "Wait, do you mean this was planned from the beginning?"

"Well, actually, not really," the blue-haired boy replied, grinning in chagrin. "The original plan was for me to get my rematch with Echizen-kun, and crush the so-called 'Prince of Tennis.'"

"I-I see..." Momo replied, slightly put off by this revelation. However, he was quick to bounce back, eager to start what could, quite possibly, be the most intense match of his life. "Well, what are we wait for? I don't have all day to wait. I don't."

With the return of Momo's normal speech pattern, Yukimura smiled. "Of course. Tezuka, which of us will have the advantage of first serve?"

Blinking at the sudden attention, Seigaku's captain glanced at the line-up sheet in his hand. "The honor would be yours, Yukimura."

"Excellent." He bent down and picked up a stray tennis ball from the previous match. Because of the incredibly fast pace of the matches, the freshmen were unable to cope with their normal job, and, therefore, the players themselves were responsible for the excess balls.

Drawing his racket back, Yukimura performed a normal serve. With a short dash, Momo easily returned it. Ready to start a rally, the junior's eyes widened when he heard the tennis ball clang against the fence behind him.

"You'll have to do better than that to beat me, Momoshiro."

* * *

A knock brought Ryuuzaki Sumire's attention away from a few bits of forgotten paperwork. She sighed. The tennis coach had returned to her office not five minutes ago.

"Come in," she called, prepared to deal with yet another problem presented by her regulars. Her eyebrow rose at the sight of Itoshiko Akina.

"Itoshiko-san, how may I help you?" she began.

"Ryuuzaki-san, you may be wondering why I'm not currently with Echizen-kun. Well, his condition at the moment is what brought me here. I have come to a conclusion that can only be proved if I have access to a few of your students."

"Would you care to elaborate?" the elder woman questioned. She would be happy to help the doctor, but curiosity got the better of her.

"Of course. But, if I may, I'll do so by asking a question. What are the physical conditions, such as heartbeat, that are observed in a tennis player during a match?"

"Well, obviously his heartbeat would be rather high. He would be sweating, and, after a little while, begin to show signs of fatigue. And, although this is just a guess, his brain would be functioning more than normal due to the observations and split-second decisions that are a critical component of tennis. But, what does this have to do with your visit?"

"To put it simply, Echizen's condition matches your description exactly," he replied.

Sumire stared at the medical professional in incredulity. "But, you couldn't possibly be proposing that there's a correlation, could you?"

"I am. I have never seen a condition like Ryoma's, and, although I haven't seen such a thing proposed in any medical journals I've read, I believe there is almost certainly a link between his self-induced coma and tennis. And, if you don't mind, I'd like to do a few tests on some of your players."

"Of course, let me go grab a couple. I'd imagine you'd prefer freshmen, since their physiques are most similar to Ryoma's?

"Yes, they would do nicely. Thank you, Ryuuzaki-san."

Sumire approached the large group of spectators quietly. After watching Momo's match for a minute, she tapped the shoulders of the infamous freshmen trio. Katsuo and Kachirou turned normally, if slightly startled. Horio, on the other hand, would have screamed if she had not clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Okay, you three, I need you to follow me and help Itoshiko-san, Ryoma's doctor. Do you think you can handle that?"

"But we just came back from reporting another injury," Horio whined.

"Another? Seriously, what is wrong with these kids? It's just a practice session."

Ryuuzaki sighed. "It doesn't matter. Now, getting back to the matter at hand, can you three help the doctor with his hypothesis?"

A chorus of "Yes" reached her ears, and she turned. They reached her office. The doctor nodded to them in greeting, and walked to the door.

"As this is my first time on campus, I'd appreciate if you three took me to a court separate from the rest of the crowd I heard upon arrival. If they are too close, we could go off to a nearby tennis facility to perform the tests."

Speaking up for her intimidated freshmen, Sumire said, "The latter would be the case, then. We only have four courts, and one is being used. The nearest place would have to be the Nagano Sports Center. Let me give you the directions."

Quickly scrawling the words on a random scrap of paper, she handed it to the doctor.

"If you four need anything, please don't hesitate to call the school. They'll redirect you to me."

"Of course. I'd like to thank you again, Ryuuzaki-san."

And, with that, the four left the campus. Sumire returned to her chair, and rested her head in her hands. Why did everything have to happen to **her **tennis team?

* * *

Atobe, surprisingly, was having a wonderful time. Then again, perhaps it wasn't so surprising, considering his enormous wealth and relative fame. At the moment, he was being pampered by the Saeki matriarch. And, she was better at meeting his "needs" than many of his well-payed servants from home. He would have to get her to teach them some of her tricks.

"Atobe, you should visit more often. I don't get to mother people like this enough."

The corporate heir just continued perusing one of the many books available in the Saeki household. The one in his hands discussed the many different roles of major, multi-billion dollar corporations. And, as such, it used his family's business as its primary example. All of the topics were things covered by his father before the boy was ten, but it was a nice refresher course.

"Saeki-san, shouldn't you be preparing dinner?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Don't worry about that," she replied. "My son is working on it."

While these two made small talk, Oshitari was busy doing actual work. He sat in the kitchen, discussing various aspects of the Fuji issue with Saeki. As he collected answers, he added them to a growing list of facts.

"So, does Fuji usually get back at someone physically, as in beating said person?" the blue-haired boy asked.

"Does that seriously require my input?" Saeki asked with a raised eyebrow. Gaining an affirmative nod, he added, "No, he prefers to attack them in a subtle manner. Fuji attacks the mind first, the heart second, and the body afterward, if necessary. And, as of yet, it's never been necessary. Although, he usually beats the tar out of them, anyway."

Oshitari sighed. "Well, considering this involves Fuji, it would be stupid to think it would be easy."

* * *

Momoshiro knelt on one knee, panting from exertion. He couldn't believe it. In just six minutes, Yukimura had ripped his game open, and won five games without allowing a single point to mar his score. He looked over to the blue-haired captain and frowned.

Across the court, the senior coughed into a handkerchief. It sounded normal, but as he pulled it away, the spiky-haired junior spotted red. Blood. However, because of the angle in which Yukimura stood, only Momo saw the stain. He stared, rising to his feet to approach Tezuka. As if sensing his actions, Yukimura turned and made a nearly imperceptible shake of his head.

_No, Momo, don't tell anyone. I don't want anyone to panic, especially my team._

_But...You're..._

_I know, but I can handle it._

_I thought you had surgery to fix that._

_I did. But, the doctors told me there was a chance that it would return. They also said that it would be incurable if that happened. I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do about it, but I don't want the others to worry about me again._

_But, they'll find out eventually. Then, they'll wonder why you didn't trust them with the information._

_I'll deal with things as they come, Momoshiro, that's my prerogative._

_Fine. But, if something happens during this match, I'm going to tell all of them._

_...I suppose that's a suitable compromise. Now, let's continue the match._

"Momo," Tezuka snapped, "it's your serve. Please resume the match; Rikkai Dai has to get home sometime today."

Some of the Seigaku players chuckled. It was rare when their captain made a condescending comment, especially so when it came to regulars. Momo scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Haha, sure." He grabbed a tennis ball and served a shaky Bullet Serve. It went out.

"Fault."

He served again.

"Double fault."

Yukimura gave Momo a glare that clearly showed his intention to torture the junior if he didn't shape up immediately. The trickster shook his head to clear his thoughts. He was doing exactly what caused him to lose his position as a regular those many months ago. His play style was being determined by the appearance of his opponent; he was judging Yukimura because of his medical condition.

_'Damn it. Why does everything always have to be so complicated?'_ Momo took a deep breath. His muscles relaxed slightly, and his troubled mind found peace. If he didn't play to full capacity, it would be an insult to the "Child of God." But, did he really want to put stress on him? After a moment of contemplation, the junior's mind was set. There was no going back. It was time to show everyone his true potential, regardless of his opponent's state.

Momo roared as he served again. The ball flew passed Yukimura's face. Rikkai's captain had, despite his own words, given into the idea that his opponent would go easy on him. It had been a depressing conclusion to come to, but there wasn't much one could do once a person's mind was set. To say the last serve pleased him would be an understatement. It appeared that Seigaku's trickster was finally ready to play.

The blue-haired boy shrugged off his jacket, tossing it to the bench. He turned his gaze toward Momo. With a smirk, he went into a stance not seen since the Nationals.

"Come, Momoshiro. Let's dance."

And dance they did. What had previously been a one-sided match became a flowing, elegant, high-speed tango. Yukimura played with all the skill that his title implied. Momo moved with his instincts before his thoughts even bothered to interrupt.

He jumped, preparing for his classic Dunk Smash. However, rather than waiting for the obvious, Yukimura rose to meet the younger boy. As Momo struck, rather than allowing gravity to propel the ball even faster, the blue-haired genius rotated his body and returned the shot, turning the smash to his favor. As such, the yellow projectile rocketed into the ground and bounced over the fence.

With a grin, Yukimura gently returned to Earth. Before turning back to the receiving line, he addressed the disillusioned boy before him.

"You're good, Momoshiro. But, are you good enough to beat the best? It's match point; time's running out."

They spiky-haired junior marched to the service line, the flame of determination in his eyes burning more brightly than ever before. He served for what could be the final time, and they moved.

A dash left and a cross-court shot.

A slide and a slice return.

A spin and a backhanded lob.

A jump and a smash.

It was just as Momo delivered his smash that Yukimura paused, coughing violently. He fell to his knees, blood dripping from his mouth. Clutching his head in agony, Rikkai's captain failed to notice the incoming tennis ball.

"Yukimura!"

With a burst of speed, Sanada barreled through the door, leaping forward with racket in hand. In a dazzling display of skill, he slid to a stop while knocking the ball aside. It even stayed within the court. Without missing a beat, Rikkai's second-in-command knelt beside his captain.

"Yukimura, can you hear me? Say something!"

"G-genichirou?" he replied, every word a struggle. As his head throbbed in blinding pain, his body was wracked with spasms. With a gasp of pain, Yukimura fell forward. Before he passed into the world of unconsciousness, his barely audible words drifted across the suddenly silent court.

"I'm sorry..."

Sanada stared at the boy in his arms. Panic coursed through every nerve and vein in his body. The first thing that hit was denial.

_'No...No...NO! Not again. That horror was supposed to be behind us. Seiichi was going to lead us to the top in high school. We were going to be the best, together, as captain and team.'_

Footsteps shook Rikkai's co-captain from his thoughts. He rose his gaze to reveal his captain's final partner, Momoshiro.

"Sanada...He...he didn't want to worry you guys," the junior began hesitantly.

"Wait...you mean he's been regressing for a while? He knew and never told us?"

Momo paused, not knowing what to say. "Yeah," he lamely replied.

"Why?" Sanada's voice nearly broke, raw emotion trying to break through his stoic facade. "Why would he hide this from us?"

"I think he wanted to avoid the tension and fear that tingled on the edge of your thoughts while he was in the hospital."

"What are you talking about?" Sanada barked. "We are Rikkai. We don't fear anything."

The spiky-haired boy sighed. "Then why are you clutching Yukimura so tightly?"

Sanada blinked. He glanced down at his hands. The knuckles were white, and they were trembling. Before he could respond, however, Tezuka stepped forward.

"You two can have this discussion later. Ryuuzaki-sensei is ready to take Yukimura to the hospital. Sanada, you can carry him. If you need help, Momoshiro will be more than willing to oblige. Now, follow me; the three of us will accompany Yukimura."

So authoritative was Tezuka's command that the other two followed without comment. The trio smoothly passed through the group of onlookers, the crowd parting with haste. The trip to the car was silent. Their pace was brisk, their gait that of true tennis players: powerful, elegant, and confident yet reserved.

As soon as they reached Coach Ryuuzaki's car, they piled in – Sanada and Momoshiro in the back, supporting Yukimura between them. Tezuka took the front seat, giving his coach a quick rundown of the events that led to the car ride. After he concluded, she shook her head in exasperation.

"When will you kids learn that tennis is a sport, a pastime that isn't important enough to lay down your life and future for?"

Sanada looked at her, highly affronted. "Tennis is more than a game. It is a lifestyle. To do anything less than one's best would be the highest insult imaginable."

Sumire gave the players a half-hearted smile. "The ideals of youth, by sheer definition, fade with age. Experience trumps aspiration every time."

Unsure what to think anymore, Momo looked out the car window, watching the cars and buildings rush by. His thoughts hopped around, touching upon the events of the past several days. He quietly sighed.

_'What else could possibly go wrong?'_

_

* * *

_

The other Seigaku regulars were taking the bus to the hospital. Fuji glared at the empty seat in front of him. His thoughts were on the result of the last match. Momoshiro had, once again, threatened the life of one of those he held dear. How long would the junior continue his onslaught on the Fuji considered more precious than life?

Well, he'd have none of it. Time was ticking down to the time that Fuji would exact his revenge. And an oh-so satisfactory revenge it would be.

* * *

Return after return, Ryoma fought to maintain his slim lead. Sure, he could have activated the Pinnacle of Perfection, but that was his last resort. Against an opponent that adapted as quickly as it did, pulling out all the stops at this point in the match would ensure his defeat.

Suddenly, he spotted his chance. Dashing to the front, Ryoma pulled his racket in, placing an enormous amount of backspin on the ball. By performing Tezuka's trademark shot yet again, he was making a gamble.

And it didn't pay off.

Before the ball even left Ryoma's racket, the shadow was at the net, preparing to slam it into the freshman's face. Instinct took over as he brought his racket up in the blink of an eye. But even that wasn't fast enough. The tennis ball smashed into Ryoma's face, knocking him off his feet. With a groan, he rolled over, ignoring the blood slowly flowing from his nose. No, what held his attention was the spinning, tipping sensation of the whiplash-induced vertigo.

Because his eyes were held tightly shut, Ryoma didn't see his surroundings flicker in and out of existence. Had he seen this, he would have known how important this match was to his overall well being.

* * *

The alarm for room the ICU room went off. Two doctors, as well as their entourage of nurses, rushed into the room, prepared for the worst. One of the doctors glanced at the vitals monitor, expecting erratic, potentially life-threatening signs. However, the Ryoma's current nurse grabbed his attention.

"Echizen's vitals aren't an issue at the moment," she began. "I was the one that set off the alarm. The reason is rather obvious. He is currently exhibiting epistaxis."

One of the doctors flew to Ryoma's side, inspecting his face. True to her word, his nose was bleeding. Quickly checking for possible causes, he looked back at his team.

"We should have this checked immediately." Directing his next instructions to the nurses, he continued. "Please wheel his bed and necessary IV equipment to Examination Room C14. We'll be performing a CT scan. Make sure Echizen-kun is ready by the time I arrive."

The nurses nodded, already moving toward their patient. The doctor turned to his subordinative doctor. "You may go help another doctor with a patient, but please be on standby. If we have to perform surgery, we'll be shorthanded with Itoshiko-san missing."

"Understood." The lower-level doctor swiftly left the room, his coat billowing behind him. The first doctor watched for a moment before following his team, which had already left with Ryoma. All the doctors on the fourth floor were also surgeons of varying proficiency. But that doesn't mean they were worse than the full-time surgeons. These men and women were required to be able to handle just about any issue their patients had. The fourth floor happened to house the patients that were viewed as more likely to need surgery.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, the doctor, Sato Isao, was looking over the results of the CT scan. And, he was utterly baffled. There was no sign of any medical issue with Ryoma's head that would cause epistaxis. With a sigh, he thought back to his discussion with Itoshiko about their confusing patient.

"_Itoshiko-san, with all due respect, I refuse believe that Echizen-kun is in this condition purely because he wants to be. There are no recorded cases of this in any of the archives I've looked over, and none of my contacts around the globe have heard of such an issue. The closest I've been found would be cases where individuals have passed out from emotional trauma. There are also cases in which the patient gives up the will to live and allows a disease to consume him. However, it is a huge jump in the medical field to go from that to a self-induced critical medical condition. I cannot, with good conscience, allow you to use this hypothesis as Echizen-kun's diagnosis."_

_Itoshiko gave the man an understanding look. "I agree, Sato-san, that this is a difficult theory to believe. It goes against everything that has ever been taught to a medical student, and inherently goes against the grain. Trust me when I say that I've looked for every other possible problem I can think of. But, there is no denying the similarities between Echizen-kun's condition and that of an athlete's in the middle of an intense game."_

_Sato sighed. He'd heard this argument several times, and couldn't disagree. It was true; the heart rate, the mental activity, even the sweating marked the signs of physical exertion. He, though, was still steadfast in his desire to avoid the current official diagnosis. Shaking his head, he was about to speak when Itoshiko spoke again. _

"_Sato-san, hear me out. I know that most in the medical field are content to stay within their comfort zone, and avoid facing the unknown. I, however, believe – no, I'm _certain –_ that if we don't look forward, don't make advances in this realm of knowledge, that the field of medicine will become stagnant. We'll be unable to help those with new problems, because we'll be unable to face them."_

"_I agree."_

"_Please, Sato-san believe – wait, what?"_

_Sato chuckled. "I agree with what you've said. The only problem I have with this is using a _hypothesis _as a _diagnosis_. It is against my nature to give people information that is only speculation at best. Until we have some sort of true, non-circumstantial evidence that this theory is, indeed, the case, we cannot, as true medical professionals, tell others about this."_

"_Unfortunately, I've already notified Echizen-kun's family and team. They have probably already spread this information to others. In short, Sato-san, it is now out of our control. Since that was your one objection to this whole thing, I'm going to assume that you'll help me with my testing."_

"_Of course," Sato replied. "What would you have me do?"_

"_Stay. Take my place as Echizen-kun's head doctor while I go out and perform an experiment. I should be done before the day is out, so you'll only have to deal with the team for several hours. Is this acceptable to you?"_

"_It is. Now, Itoshiko-san, hurry and complete your tests. I truly want this whole situation to be over and done with. My one problem with being a doctor is dealing with the loved ones of a patient."_

_Itoshiko nodded. He rose and strode to the door. Before leaving, he turned back to Sato. "Take good care of Echizen-kun. Even unconscious, he's grown on me. Or, maybe I should say his team has grown on me." _

_Chuckling, Itoshiko left. Sato sat there for a while, thinking over the recent discussion. Then, shaking his head to get rid of any loose thoughts, he returned to his post, ready to help Ryoma at any time._

Maybe this recent development was tied to Itoshiko's theory. With a little deliberation, he picked up the phone by his right arm, and dialed a number, waiting for the other end to pick up. His questions would be answered soon.

* * *

The office telephone rang twice before the surprised secretary picked it up. Seishun Gakuen had recently decided to have a few faculty members in the office at all times to handle calls from concerned parents at night. This new secretary had held her position for about a month, and had performed her job admirably. Of course, that wasn't difficult, considering no one ever called. Although Seigaku had made several announcements about the new policy, students had failed to inform parents. Then again, the parents might not have any issues. Segaku had an exemplary record of parent, teacher, and student satisfaction rates.

"Seishun Gakuen. How may I help you?" the secretary questioned, saying exactly what she'd been taught to say.

"Hello, this is Sato Isao, one of Echizen Ryoma's doctors from the hospital. May I speak to Ryuuzaki-san?"

"Unfortunately, she's not here at the moment. I was just informed by a member of the tennis team that she was on her way to the hospital with a boy in critical condition."

"...Please tell me you're kidding," the voice replied, pleading evident in his words.

Feeling slightly guilty, she replied, "I wish I was, Sato-san."

"What is wrong with those tennis kids? This is the fifth tennis player to show up in the last week. I'm going to need to have a talk with Ryuuzaki-san."

Sighing, Sato decided to end his call. "Well, thank you for your help. Have a good day."

"You as well, Sato-san. Good-bye."

The secretary placed the phone back in its cradle. She stared at the phone for a while. _'Five? There really is something wrong with those kids.'_

_

* * *

_

The ball rolled into the fence, barely making a sound. Even if it had, it wouldn't have been heard over the panting of the freshmen trio. They were wearing special equipment that relayed vitals and other important medical information to Itoshiko's laptop. Sensors were all over their bodies. Several were on their heads, more on their torsos, and a few on each limb.

Itoshiko looked on in slight disappointment. _'They've only been at it for twenty minutes, and they're already this tired. No wonder freshmen don't usually make it as regulars. Echizen-kun must be as good as I've heard.'_

However, he couldn't deny that the information they were providing him was excellent. Breathing patterns, heart rate, sweat levels, temperature readings, and even brainwave activity. The last was the most difficult to obtain, but, with the special electrodes he'd been able to acquire, Itoshiko managed to even leap that hurdle. With enough information to get a good average, the doctor decided it was time to end the game. He also didn't want to risk damaging the equipment. It was ridiculously expensive.

"All right, you three, I've got what I need. You can take it easy now," he called out to the freshmen.

Horio sighed in relief, starting to sit down.

"Hold on, I need my equipment back, so come here. I'll remove the sensors, since they break pretty easily."

With a whine, Horio and the other two wobbled over to the doctor. After about five minutes of careful work, Itoshiko managed to take off the last sensor. Smiling at the boys before him, he tossed each a nice, chilled water bottle he'd brought in a cooler. Nodding their thanks, the freshmen trio fell backward, lying on the court, still breathing hard.

"Good job, guys. You helped me with something that may help Echizen-kun, and maybe even others that end up with a similar problem in the future."

Seeing little in terms of a response from the three, he indicated that they return to the car. On the way, his cell phone's ring tone went off. Quickly whipping it out, he answered, "Itoshiko Akina here."

As he listened to the person on the other end, his eyes widened, and the corners of his mouth kept turning downward. With a quick, "Thanks," he put his phone away, his pace increasing.

"Come on, you three, there's been another injury from that 'practice' session your team had."

Glancing at each other, the exhausted freshmen matched the doctor's stride.

* * *

Echizen Nanjiroh strode up the walkway to his home. He held a folder full of papers dealing with the entrepreneurship-based job he'd soon take up. A determined flare in his eyes told all who observed that Samurai Nanjiroh was back. No longer was he the perverted, pseudo-monk. Opening the door, he was suddenly assaulted by his wife's words.

"You! I've finally caught you in the act. Give me the magazine, or you'll suffer the consequences."

Nanjiroh looked at his wife fondly. She finally gotten past the depression she'd been dealing with for several days. Her will was strong, and she, too, had realized the need to make as much money as possible to cover the medical bills that would result from this disaster.

"Rinko-chan, calm down. I didn't go out to get another one of those ridiculous magazines. I went out to find a job."

Rinko stared in shock. Not only had her husband, who'd been lazy for the past several years, said he'd looked for a job, he'd referred to his precious as "ridiculous." Taking another look at her husband, her eyes widened in awe. The change was astounding. Before her was not her idiot husband. No, the Nanjiroh that stood in the doorway was the man she'd fallen in love with, a confidence, long gone, having returned to his features. He exuded strength and power.

This was Echizen Nanjiroh, the man who had something to protect. And, he'd give it his all to do so.

* * *

The regulars of Seigaku and Rikkai Dai were standing outside Examination Room C5. Yukimura was currently being tested in the first of many ways, a CT scan. Sanada paced back and forth, worry showing on his face. The rest of Rikkai all looked the worse for wear. The Seigaku members all stood to the side, worried, but not being able to feel the same emotions that Yukimura's team was going through for the second time.

Finally, having had enough, Sanada turned to his team. "Minna! We're going to go visit Kirihara. He's currently in room 137A." His team nodded in acceptance, getting to their feet. Well, everyone except Niou.

"Sanada-fukubuchou, I'll stay here in case there's word regarding Buchou."

"Of course. If there is any, come find us immediately." Niou nodded solemnly.

Tezuka turned to his team. "Minna, we'll go see Kawamura. He should be out of surgery by now."

"Hai, Tezuka," was the unanimous reply.

The large group of tennis players marched together to the elevators, then parted ways, Rikkai taking the one on the left, Seigaku the one on the right. Before boarding them, Sanada addressed Tezuka.

"Tezuka, we'll meet back in the lobby in an twenty minutes. Is that acceptable?"

"Indeed," Seigaku's captain agreed. With a nod, the two returned to their teams, who'd been holding the elevators open. The doors slid shut, and the teams went to find their missing members.

* * *

The Rikkai team approached the door to room 137A. Before entering, though, they were stopped by a nurse.

"Kirihara-kun is resting. I have to ask that you return later."

Sanada turned to the lady, before growling. "We _will _see our teammate. Please do not prevent us from doing so."

With a sigh, the nurse consented. "Fine, but don't wake him. He got out of surgery about ten minutes ago."

"Of course."

And, with that, the team quietly entered the room. Looking at their injured teammate, they knew that, even if he'd been awake, there was no way they could have communicated with the boy. Bandages wrapped the entire bottom portion of his head, the only opening being the one at his nose so he could breathe.

"Akaya-kun..." Marui muttered. The redhead was another that thought of the junior as a little brother.

Similar mutters were heard throughout the group, sorrow in their eyes as they observed their fallen member. After several moments, the group stepped out. Sanada carefully closed the door behind him. Somberly, the team walked back to the elevators to wait for Seigaku in the lobby.

* * *

"How are you feeling, Taka-san?" Eiji inquired.

Kawamura smiled at his friend. "I'm fine, Eiji. According to the doctor, I shouldn't even be awake right now, so I guess I'm stronger than they thought."

"You'll always being Seigaku's strongest, Kawamura," Tezuka replied, gaining nods from the others.

"That's right, Taka-san, you're even the strongest junior high player in Japan!" Eiji added energetically.

"That's right," Fuji added softly. A few raised eyebrows met this, but no one commented on it.

Inui pushed his glasses up his nose. "They're right, Kawamura. There is a 100 percent chance that you are the strongest player around."

Momo and Kaidoh added their input.

"Fshuuu..."

"Ossu!"

Oishi spoke up. "Yeah. You're Taka, and you'll always be strong."

Smiling broadly, Kawamura looked at his friends, his teammates, his family. "Thanks, you guys."

Tezuka glanced at his watch. "Ah, we have to go, minna. Kawamura, we'll stop bye again."

"Bye, guys."

The Seigaku regulars made their good byes and followed Tezuka out the door, the last member, Oishi, softly closing the door behind him.

* * *

The two teams met in the lobby. Noticing Niou's absence, Tezuka glanced at Sanada. "No news on Yukimura?"

"No. Niou hasn't returned yet so – speak of the devil."

The group turned to see Niou's entrance. Their hope, though, was misplaced.

"Sorry, guys, they told me that visiting hours were over. As far as I know, they're still doing tests on Yukimura-buchou."

Sighing, the group looked at Tezuka and Sanada, who were the leading figures in the group. Before either could speak however, Itoshiko rushed into the building, the freshmen trio on his heels. Spotting Tezuka, he asked, "Which way?"

Knowing exactly what he was talking about, the teens pointed in the direction of the examination room. The doctor rushed off, leaving the three boys behind. They looked at their captain, obviously waiting for his words. Tezuka turned, receiving similar looks from the regulars. Not knowing exactly what to say, he was saved by Sumire's arrival.

"All right, boys, here's the deal. Yukimura's still being looked at, and they have no idea how long that will take. I left my number, as well as yours, Sanada-kun. Now, I'm sure my team's going to go home. What about your team?"

Sanada looked at each member before answering. "We'll be heading home, too. We don't have accommodations, so we can't stay here. Besides, Yukimura wouldn't want us to shirk our responsibilities just because he's down."

Sumire smirked slightly. Maybe the kid did have some promise. "Of course. Safe travels, boys."

After farewells were exchanged, the teams went separate ways. Coach Ryuuzaki volunteered to take the freshmen home by Oishi's suggestion.

* * *

As Tezuka drifted off to sleep that night, one thought stood out above the rest. Even when things looked bleak, they stuck together and held strong. They were a team. They were friends. They were family. They were Seigaku.

* * *

**AN:** And that's the end of the Rikkai arc. Honestly, it just got harder and harder to write, so I'm kind of glad it's over. But, at the same time, I'm going to miss it. Rikkai Dai is one of my favorite teams. Anyway, the next arc will be a non-tennis arc with Fudoumine. Yeah, I want to get away from the tennis for a while, otherwise it'll get stagnant. At least you'll still have Ryoma's match, which will only get more intense from here.

As usual, if there are any plot holes, grammar issues, etc., tell me. Oh, and review. It's an awesome feeling to read those. Not as great as being with my girlfriend ^.^, but still pretty cool.

Thanks again. And, I'll see ya in the next chapter!


	15. Author's Note

Hey, people. I know I'm not supposed to do this, but I thought you guys deserved an explanation for why I haven't updated in forever...again. In all honesty, most of it was due to a lack of inclination to write. I started the next chapter months ago, but only got through about a page before I just kind of gave up. Writing had become infinitely more difficult at that point. "Why?" you may ask. Well, to make a long story short, there's a sentence or two in my previous chapter's beginning author's note that might as well not be there anymore. But, I think I'll keep it there, if only for the sake holding on to a hopeless...hope, for lack of a better word.

Ah, well, I won't keep you guys too long. So, here's the good news.

I've got a short break, thanks to Thanksgiving, so I've taken up this story once more. I'm working on it as I speak (or should it be "write"?). Hopefully, it'll be out before the week is over.

Again, sorry for my lack of activity, but it's hard to write even dark material when you're so emotionally...well...broken.

Oh, and to all who read my other stories, especially _Kakashi: A Ninja's Story_, that might take a little longer to update. Sorry, but it was originally a side-story, an experiment, if you will.

Sorry again, and see ya in the next chapter (for real, this time)!


	16. Repeat

**AN:** Hey, it's been a while, huh? Sorry about that, but things have been...well, I'd rather not talk about it, actually. Anyway, here's the long-awaited fifteenth chapter in the epic _Pillars of Support_. The first section of this chapter has been written for about four and a half months, so it may seem different from the rest. Ah, well. Here's the next chapter, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Do I still need this? How many years has Fan Fiction been running?

* * *

**Chapter 15: Repeat**

"Shinji, shut up."

Kamio groaned as, for what must have been the tenth time this afternoon, his blue-haired friend mumbled about the intricacies of something or other. And, or course, Shinji chose to ignore his request. Shaking his head in despair, the redhead looked down the sidewalk, hoping for some sort of distraction. Today must not have been his day, he decided. The usually bustling streets were nearly empty.

Ready to accept his misfortune, Kamio was taken by surprise when his ring tone went off. With practiced ease, he pulled out his phone, tapped the screen, and brought it to his ear.

"Hey," he said enthusiastically, glad for a reprieve from his verbose teammate.

"Kamio, is Shinji with you?"

The addressed junior blinked. "Buchou?"

He heard a sigh on the other end. "Yes, it's me. Now, could you answer my question?"

"O-oh, sorry. Yeah, he's here."

"Good. I need you two to get to the hospital as quickly as possible," came the brusque reply.

"Why?"

"You'll see when you get here. Now, hurry up."

The line went dead. For a moment, Kamio just stared at his phone. Then, glancing at his, now silent, friend, he announced, "Well, Shinji, looks like that new racket will have to wait."

He received a questioning look from his partner. Kamio just started walking.

"Come on."

* * *

Fuji sat on his bed, his knees drawn to his chest, with his arms wrapped around his legs. His sharp eyes stared distantly into the dark confines of the unlit room. A passerby would assume, as Yumiko had, that the lack of sound or light meant Fuji was sleeping in. It was the weekend, and it's natural for teens to sleep as much and as often as possible.

However, the passerby would be wrong. Fuji was very much awake, and his mind was ablaze with thought.

Two figures stood within Fuji's mindscape. They could have been mistaken for the other, were it not for a few subtle differences. One was slightly more feral in appearance, with a constant glare to his eyes. The other exhibited Fuji's usual persona, angelic and peaceful, a gentle smile gracing his countenance.

'Great job, Fuji,' the first berated the second, 'you let the others see through your mask. Three years of careful acting blown in seconds.'

'Shut it,' angelic Fuji spat. 'It's not my fault. In case you've forgotten, you're the one who blew away MY facade. You know the deal, do you not?'

'Yeah, I know it.' feral Fuji retorted. 'I get control of the mind, you get control of the body, including the face. So I crossed the line. You should've been able to handle it, regardless.'

'It might have helped if you hadn't brought back those memories. You know how much they affect me. Even if I have no say over what goes through the mind, I still feel the effects. What do you think I am? Perfect?'

'Of course not, you fool,' was the reply, little more than a growl. 'But that's the image we've concocted, so, despite any foul-up, you should be able to improvise.'

'Fine...I'll give you that. So, I should've been able to pick up the slack, BUT, you should not have screwed up in the first place.'

'Agreed. Now, on to what we'd originally planned. Intelligence, where are you?'

Another figure appeared within the mindscape. Again, he looked nearly identical to the others. But, there existed a calculating glint in his eyes, one that made even feral Fuji shudder.

'Present. I take it you two have ended whatever quarrel had been upsetting the internal balance.'

The angelic of the two hissed lightly. 'Get on with it, Intelligence.'

'Testy today, aren't you, Peace. Rather ironic, don't you think?'

'Of course not,' came the voice of another figure. 'It would be ironic if Discord was the testy one.'

'Sarcasm, my good man,' Intelligence greeted the newcomer. 'That last one was a bit forced, if I do say so myself.'

'SILENCE!' Peace and Discord screamed simultaneously.

'Sarcasm, away with you,' Discord growled. 'Intelligence begin the discussion. And this one better be fruitful.'

'Of course. Now...'

* * *

"Buchou! We're here!" panted Kamio, Shinji on heels. "What's up?"

It was then that he spotted his captain's companions. His sister, An, naturally, but also Tezuka and Momoshiro. All four carried solemn expressions.

"Well, as you two know, I came here to have my arm examined. It's been giving me a few issues. Nothing serious, but enough to encourage an examination. Anyway, on my way out, I ran into Tezuka, of all people. Expecting his reason for being here to be his shoulder, I asked about it. His response seemed hurried, it didn't hold the same level of...thought? It turns out he was not here for himself. Tezuka, would you like to continue?"

"Indeed." Seigaku's formidable captain gave the two boys a sad look. "Momoshiro and I are here to visit both Kawamura and Echizen."

Kamio stared. "What's wrong with them?"

"Kawamura's leg has been shattered. He will no longer be able to play tennis, even though his father had convinced him to continue through high school."

The two glanced at each other. That was quite possibly the worst disaster each could think of, beside terminal illness or death. "I'm sorry," they both muttered quietly.

"Ah. He has come to terms with this revelation. Luckily, it seems he will be able to walk after extensive therapy. Therefore, he will be able to continue with his dream to be the world's greatest sushi chef."

Shinji was the first to realize that Tezuka hadn't fully answered their question. "So, what's wrong with Echizen? It can't bad. Surely not...There's not much worse than that, especially for one as talented as Echizen...but then again, Tezuka-san told us about Kawamura-san's problem first. This usually means it is the better news of the two..."

Tezuka broke off his muttered musings. "Echizen is currently in a coma. We know that he should wake in a few days...but, w-we're not sure what's wrong with him. And, his condition is slowly tearing the team apart."

A muffled cry came from his right. Everyone turned to see An holding a broken Momoshiro in her arms.

"Shh...C'mon Momo-kun, let's go for a walk."

As the two left in silence, intermittently broken by a sob, Kamio and Shinji looked at Tezuka for clarification. Seigaku's captain sighed deeply.

"Momoshiro was the one who, inadvertently, put Echizen in his current state. Thus, he blames himself, despite our reassurances, for everything. However, I suspect that a similar result would have occurred if Echizen had simply gone to sleep at the end of the day. I believe, as does the doctor, that this coma is due to some mental stimulus, one which I've been trying to uncover."

He gave the Fudoumine members a moment to digest this new information before continuing.

"Anyway, I'm on my way to visit Yukimura. Would any of you care to join me?"

Tachibana cut in before the other two could voice their thoughts. "Unfortunately, we can't. We have some business to take care of."

"Of course. I guess I'll see you around."

And with that, Tezuka strolled away down the hall. As soon as he was out of earshot, the two juniors turned to their esteemed captain.

"Buchou," Kamio began, "what 'business' do we have to take care of?"

"I think Buchou used that as an excuse. Although, for what I'm not exactly sure...For one, it's rather rude to blatantly lie to someone who's never been anything but respectful...But, I'm sure Buchou had his reasons...It's not like he's a bad person..."

Disregarding the mumbling, blue-haired boy, Tachibana replied, "I've got an idea. Follow me."

The trio from Fudoumine made their way to the nearest exit. As they neared the doorway, however, they were forced to scurry backward. A medical team rushed by, nearly barreling into several outpatients in their haste. Fearing the worst, Tachibana managed to pull one of the stragglers to the side.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"There was a major wreck a couple miles away. I don't know the specifics, but I think a bus rolled over and ran into a bunch of cars. There were so many major injuries that they called us in from a trip to Germany to work overtime. I've never seen this place so hectic. Anyway, I have to get to my area ASAP. See ya, kid. I hope you don't end up in here, too."

Kamio shook his head. "What the hell? It's like the world's been off-kilter since Echizen ended up in here."

"Please don't say that," Tachibana said, "with our luck, another friend will end up in here."

* * *

"So, Saeki, are you going to tell us the final portion of Fuji's tale?"

The white-haired boy sighed. This was supposed to be one of the most closely guarded secrets in his mind, hidden behind walls and shields of protection.

"Yeah. Give me a second to figure out where to start."

For the next couple of minutes, Atobe and Oshitari fidgeting impatiently. Or, at least, Oshitari did. He'd been stupid enough to leave his book at home. And he so desperately wanted to know if Kenji finally managed to muster up the courage to...[AN: Let's just leave Oshitari's thoughts to himself, ne? Unless you people want to know the story, in which case I'll write a one-shot about it. Of course, that'll just delay the next chapter of PoS, and I'm sure you don't want that.]

Atobe, on the other hand, was sitting back, delighting in the finger foods Saeki's mother had so generously made for them. It was amazing how much better homemade food tasted compared to the supposed delicacies crafted by the "finest chefs in the world." He'd be sure to put in a good word for her during the next annual Atobe Corporation Sports Car Giveaway.

With another sigh, Saeki began speaking. "Before I begin, I have to ask you guys never to speak of this. To anyone. I shouldn't even be telling you this. So, do you promise to never mention this outside of this room?"

"Of course," Oshitari replied.

"Yeah, whatever," Atobe drawled.

"I guess that's the best I'm going to get. So..."

[AN: I thought about doing this mini-story in the same format as the others, but I wanted to make it unique. Therefore, it is written from Saeki's point of view.]

"_W-what?"_

"_You heard me, Syuusuke," said Yumiko. "We're not biological siblings. You were sent to an orphanage approximately two weeks after birth. You were adopted."_

_Fuji stumbled backward, his face pale. "B-but...I thought..."_

_Yumiko placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Remember this: I will always love you, like a real sister."_

_But, Fuji, only ten years old, wasn't thinking clearly. He shook off her hand and ran. I'd never seen anyone run like that before. He was like a caged animal finally released after years of captivity. There was such an intense expression of fear on his face, and it will haunt my memories forever._

_I chased after him, crying his name all the while. By the time I'd made to the street, Fuji was nearly out of sight. Knowing I'd never catch up with him at this rate, I looked around, trying to desperately come up with some way to beat him there. Luckily, the bus pulled up moments later and I hopped on. _

_It felt like it took hours to make it to the right stop. But, when I made my way to the front of the bus, and stuck my hands in my pockets, I realized I left my money back at Fuji's place. Panicking, I glanced at the open door, contemplating simply running without paying. As I made a move for the door, someone behind me spoke up._

"_Here." _

_I turned, startled, to find that a boy was holding out some money, just enough for my fare. I took in the appearance of my savior, in hopes that I could repay him one day. He was about my height, had golden-brown hair, and glasses. And, he bore an air of seriousness that made it almost seem like he was several years older than he actually was._

"_Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."_

_The boy just raised an eyebrow. "Don't mention it. Now, I'd suggest you get off the bus before the driver gets mad."_

"_Oh...right." And, with that, I was off. At this point, I had the advantage, if only slightly. Fuji would be tired by now, despite the adrenaline pumping through his system. I was still full of energy and could keep sprinting. _

_By the time I got to Fuji's haunt, he was already walking slowly toward the ledge, tears streaming from his eyes. Dashing toward him, I silently thanked that mysterious boy again. I tackled Fuji to the ground and pinned him down. _[AN: Fangirls (or...special...fanboys), don't get any ideas.]

"_Why, Fuji? Why would you jump? Because you found out your sister isn't your biological sister? That's pure crap, and you know it. She treats you like family should. Heck, she's basically been your mother since your adopted mother died."_

"_...I wasn't gonna jump," Fuji muttered quietly. "I was just gonna sit near the ledge and look at the world from above. You were there, so you know what's up. And, you should know that I have a lot to think about. This is where I think most clearly, so why would I go anywhere else. I know I was mentally unstable a few months ago, but I'm better now. Now...now I'm just confused."_

_I looked at him with a mix of pity and pride. Fuji had gone through a lot, and he'd grown because of it. I just hoped to Kami-sama that he stayed that way. Although, his next words worried me slightly._

"_You'll help me find them, won't you?"_

_Confused, I gave him a questioning look. "Find who?"_

"_My parents. My real parents."_

_For a moment, I paused. Then, I gave him my answer. "Of course. When do we start?"_

_

* * *

_

Slowly, Ryoma rose to a sitting position. As the spinning subsided, he blinked repeatedly. Not only did it speed up the recovery, it also helped him focus on the interrupted match. A moment later, he rose to his feet, brushed himself off and picked up his racket.

With a glance at the scoreboard, he reaffirmed his resolve.

"Let's do this."

He served, and dashed forward.

As the ball came back toward his court, he went to meet it with an extra burst of speed. Instead of attempting to knock it away from the shadow, he sent the ball directly toward it. This continued for several rallies before the shadow lobbed, just as Ryoma had planned.

Seigaku's rookie jumped. He performed his Cyclone Smash, sending the ball straight at the net. With it's angle, the ball clipped the net and sped up, shooting past the shadow at a dizzying speed. But Ryoma's self-congratulations were dimmed by the fact that the shadow simply returned to its position.

"What are you?" he asked, not expecting an answer. He didn't get one. "Or, maybe it's more like 'Who are you?'"

* * *

_It took us about two months of continual searching to find Fuji's real parents. Why? Because we didn't really know where to start. And, when we did find a lead, it hit a dead-end. It was so frustrating for me, and I can't imagine what it was like for Fuji._

_Our first idea was to contact the orphanage Fuji and his brother had stayed at for however long and start from there. But, the only one who knew which orphanage was the correct one was Yumiko. We tried to get her to tell us, but she refused. At the time, I thought she was being terribly mean, but in retrospect I wish we'd given up there._

_Anyway, we went through what must have been twenty phone books and made a list of every orphanage listed. We started calling the orphanages, each of us taking half the list. But, they kept saying that we needed to be at least eighteen to access any information. So, Fuji got desperate._

_After a week of fruitless calling, he decided to take things into his own hands, and waited until Yumiko left for the day. Then, he snuck into her room, found all of her filed papers, and started sifting through them, looking for anything that might have anything to do with his orphanage. And finally, after several hours of searching, he found a name and a number._

_The next day, we went down to the orphanage. When we asked the receptionist about looking into their archives, she laughed. I don't think she meant to be derisive. She simply laughed at the concept of a couple of prepubescent boys asking for access into federal records. _

"_I'm sorry boys," she said, "but there's no way I can give you access to those files. If you were eighteen, I might let you after having made you complete a great deal of paperwork, but, obviously, you're not eighteen."_

_Fuji stood silent for a moment, his face blank, but his eyes calculating. When he brought his head back up, his face was that of a chagrined, but joyful, child. "Oh well! Can we at least visit the kids here? I'm guessing they don't get much interaction with other kids their age."_

_The lady's eyes softened. "Of course. Go right ahead. The children will enjoy your company."_

_As soon as we were out of earshot, I dragged Fuji over and asked, "What are you doing? Do you really wanna visit these kids?"_

"_Kinda. But the real reason I asked to go see them was to find a computer genius. You've seen the movies, there's always one at an orphanage."_

_I gave him an incredulous look. "Yeah, in the movies. But this isn't a movie! This is real life, Fuji! Just face the fact that you'll never find your parents and let's go home. Seriously, what are the chances that you'll find a genius here?"_

"_I apologize, but did I hear a question about probability?"_

_We turned to see a boy, slightly taller than us with a shock of spiky, dark hair. He also wore glasses with thick, rectangular lenses that reflected the light. It gave a slightly creepy appearance, actually._

"_Um...yeah," Fuji replied. "My friend asked about the chances of finding a genius at this orphanage."_

"_Ah, well that's an easy one. The probability is 100 percent. I don't mean to brag, but most would call me a genius. But, why were you looking for a genius?"_

"_Are you good with computers?" Fuji inquired._

_The boy chuckled. "Good? I should think so. Why?"_

"_I want you to hack into the orphanage archives."_

_

* * *

_

"Tezuka! How good to you to visit."

Seigaku's captain took a seat in a chair near Yukimura's bed. He cleared his throat, and started talking. "Yukimura. How are you doing?"

"Well, I'm alive. That's always a good sign." The coughs between words and flecks of blood on his lips seemed to say otherwise.

"I'll just cut to the chase, Yukimura. Why didn't you tell anyone when your symptoms started showing up again? Do you have any idea how much your team is affected by your illness? They were devastated when you fell to the ground during your match with Momoshiro. It was like months of surgery, recovery, and progress were thrown away in an instant."

Yukimura dropped his head. And then went into another coughing fit. "I know, Tezuka, I know. But, I didn't want to make them worry more than they had to. Do you think I was blind to the fear and concern they constantly felt when I was last in the hospital? I'm not stupid."

"But you made a stupid decision."

"...I'll give you that one."

Before the conversation could continue, a nurse walked in and turned to Tezuka.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I have to do several diagnostic tests on Yukimura-kun now, so you'll have to leave."

"Of course. Farewell, Yukimura, and good luck."

"See ya, Tezuka! Send my thanks to the rest of your team for their support."

And, with that, Tezuka left the room, the door quietly closing behind him.

* * *

"_Fuji, are you insane? Not only is that ridiculously illegal, you're also involving an innocent stranger."_

"_I know, Saeki, but this is my only chance to find out who my parents really are."_

_The spiky-haired boy blinked. Or, at least, it seemed like he did; there was no way of telling with those odd glasses of his. "Oh, is that it? Sure, I've done it before."_

_Both Fuji and I looked at him strangely. "What? You don't think that the rest of us have wondered who our real parents are? Please. Besides, the security they placed on the archives is elementary. You'd think they'd place more importance on it. Then again, we're orphans. Who in the government honestly cares about us?"_

_With that depressing thought, the boy gestured for us to follow him. We passed through several hallways, climbed a couple of sets of stairs and entered a medium-sized room, probably a ballroom at some point in the building's history. Before us sat several kids on various desktops and laptops of varying age. They all turned to us as we walked in._

"_Don't worry, their cool," the boy reassured them. The group turned back to their computers. We moved over to what must have been the best computer in the room, hands down._

_The boy turned to us. "The older computers in this room were supplied by the orphanage. The newer ones, though, we had to buy by pooling together the money they give to those of us that are at least eight years old. Although, I may or may not have acquired an online job that may or may not have allowed me to purchase a very powerful laptop."_

"_That's great," Fuji interrupted, "but could you hurry and hack the archives? I really need that information."_

"_Ah, I'm sorry, of course. It should take all of...thirty seconds, if my calculations are correct. And they are always correct. All I need is a name and birthday and age."_

"_Fuji Syuusuke, 29 February, age 10."_

"_Well, Fuji would be the name given to you after adoption, so I'll go with the other information...And, I've got it."_

"_Well?"_

"_Kaneko Syuusuke, arrived just two weeks after birth. Your parents are Kaneko Hideaki and Kaneko Chie. Unfortunately, that's all the information they have on your parents. It's odd; usually they ask for information like occupation, residence, and...hey, are you listening to me?"_

"_Kaneko...Hideaki...Chie...Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate this. Can I have your name so I can somehow help you in the future? Maybe get you adopted by a good family?"_

_The boy smiled. "You don't have to do that. There's already a couple going through the process of adopting me. And, because of that, I'll have a different family name. However, my first name is Sadaharu."_

"_Sadaharu..." Fuji repeated, "Thank you. I'll see you again sometime."_

"_Goodbye Fuji. And goodbye to you..."_

"_Saeki. Saeki Kojirou. And I also want to thank you for helping my best friend."_

"_Of course."_

_Fuji turned and I followed him to the door. We turned one last time, and waved to Sadaharu. He returned the gesture with another smile and turned to his laptop, fingers a blur._

_I looked at Fuji. "So, what now?"_

_He glanced at me as we descended the stairs. "We look for my parents."_

_

* * *

_

"Wait, so you met Inui before middle school?" Atobe asked.

"And, I'm guessing by the description the boy you met on the bus was Tezuka," added Oshitari.

"Yes, and yes. I didn't catch the connection between the boy on the bus and Tezuka originally, but the second time our teams met, it clicked. I think Tezuka knows as well. And, of course, Inui vividly remembers our meeting at the orphanage, but he doesn't talk about it. I mean, who would want to talk about being an orphan?"

"Are there any other Seigaku members you met during this search for Fuji's parents?"

Saeki thought for a moment. "Hmm...you'll just have to sit back, shut up, and listen to the rest of this story. Now, can I continue so I can finish this before the sun sets?"

"Fine..." the two grumbled together.

"Okay, so we had just gotten the names of Fuji's parents..."

* * *

_We gathered our collection of phonebooks and found every listing of the name "Kaneko" in hopes of finding, if not Fuji's parents themselves, their relatives. The list was huge! It took us a week to make it in between school-related activities. _

_Like with the orphanages, we split the list in two and each started making calls. But this in itself took a month to accomplish. And, finally, the list dwindled to one last number on Fuji's list. Hesitantly, he dialed the number, hoping against all hope that it was the person he was looking for._

"_Hello, is this the Kaneko residence?" he inquired. After a moment, he covered the mouthpiece, looked at me sadly, and mouthed, "It's just some old lady."_

"_Are either Hideaki or Chie there? … Oh, I see. Well, if you see them, can you tell them their son, Syuusuke, is looking for them?"_

_Fuji sighed, and moved to hang up the phone. Then, the lady on the other end said something that made him jerk in surprise. "O-obaachan? Do you know where Tousan and Kaasan are? … A-ah...Well, bye."_

_He hung up. Confused, I looked at him and asked, "What's up?"_

"_That was my grandmother. And...she knows where my parents are."_

"_Awesome! Where are they?"_

_Fuji looked at me, his eyes distant. "They're at..."_

_

* * *

_

"The hospital? Why would they be calling?"

With a bit of confusion, Fuji picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Is this the Fuji residence?"

"Umm...yes, it is. How may I help you?"

The voice on the other end paused momentarily before continuing. "Before I continue, could I get your age?"

This confused Fuji further. "Well, I suppose it's all right, since this is a federally run institution. I'm fourteen years old. May I ask why you need to know that?"

He heard muttering on the other end, and he could've sworn he heard something along the lines of "poor kid." A moment later, the hospital worker returned to the phone. "Ah, well, I hate to be the one to tell you this, kid, but one of your relatives was caught up in the a major accident earlier today and is in the hospital."

Fuji's eyes widened. He continued speaking with the person on the other end. A minute later, he was out the door at a sprint.

'No...not again.'

* * *

"_Why are they in the hospital?" I asked Fuji, hoping he had an answer._

_He just sighed. "I don't know, it didn't feel like it was something Obaachan was willing to talk about."_

_We were silent for the rest of the bus ride. I glanced around, hoping for some sort of distraction to keep Fuji's mind away from more depressing thoughts. Sadly, nothing aboard provided and sort of interest._

_As soon as the bus stopped near the hospital, Fuji got up and ran off the bus, without even bothering to pay. Sighing mentally, I apologized to the bus driver and payed for both of us. By the time I got off the bus, Fuji was nearly at the doors. Frustrated, I dashed after him, hoping to prevent any trains from derailing._

_I caught him before he could make it to the receptionist's desk. "Calm down, Fuji, it's not like anyone's life is hanging in the balance."_

"_You don't know that!" he cried. "My parents could be dying for all we know."_

_And so, he moved to the desk, asked for the location of his parents, and, a moment later, was speeding down the hospital hallways. I followed as closely as I could without knocking over patients and medical personnel. _

_

* * *

_

Fuji stepped to the front of the line at the hospital desk. The receptionist smiled at him. "Name?"

"Fuji. Recently brought in because of the huge traffic accident earlier today."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I hope they're all right. Give me just a second to find them...Ah! Here we go. Fuji in...oh dear."

Seigaku's genius's heart nearly stopped. "What? What?"

"She's in ICU. Go to the second floor, take a right, go down to the double doors, take a left and you'll be in ICU. If anyone stops you, just say Ayame gave you clearance. Okay?"

"Yeah. Thank you," Fuji replied.

"Don't mention it. Now, go see your family. I'm sure they want to see you right now."

With that, Fuji dashed off, his mind racing a mile a minute.

'Please be okay...Yumiko.'

* * *

"_Fuji, why are we in ICU?"_

_He turned to me, fear written on his face. "I don't know, but this is where the receptionist told me to go to find my parents."_

_A doctor stopped midstep, and turned to us. "Can I help you boys with something, or do I need to show you out? This is the Intensive Care Unit, and we can't be distracted by children."_

"_I'm sorry, sir," Fuji replied, "we're just looking for Kaneko Hideaki and Chie, my parents. See, they sent me to an orphanage when I was only two weeks old, and I've just now found out who they are. We were told they were here by the lady at the desk, and she seemed to think it was okay for us to visit."_

_The doctor's expression softened. "Ah. Well, the Kankeko couple in here has...well, let me just take you to their room, and you'll understand. By the way, how old are you?"_

"_Ten years old. Why?"_

_He didn't answer, but his jaw seemed to stiffen._

_We followed him to a room shut off from the rest of the world by a wall of curtains. The doctor turned to us and gestured that we enter. Fuji and I did as instructed, only to find two people, a man and a woman, unconscious and hooked up to various life-support devices._

"_Tousan...Kaasan..."_

_

* * *

_

"Excuse me sir, but could you tell me where Fuji Yumiko is being held?"

A distracted doctor blinked a few times, glanced at a sheet of paper on the desk, and replied, "Room 209. Go down the hall on the left and it should be the third room on your right."

"Thank you."

Fuji swiftly strode to the room as directed. Upon opening the door, he found the figure of his sister, bandaged heavily with several tubes attached to various parts of her body. But, she was still very much conscious, and she turned her head slighlty to see who was at the door. A smile came to her face when she saw it was Fuji.

"Syuu-kun! How are you?"

"Fine, but I should be asking you that question. Seriously, you're barely able to move in a hospital bed in ICU!"

Yumiko smiled slightly. "Syuu-kun, calm down, the doctors said I should be fine after several weeks of recover and then another few weeks of therapy."

Fuji sighed in relief.

'I guess this won't be like last time.'

* * *

"_Fuji...they're..."_

_The doctor coughed lightly. "Indeed. They are comatose. In fact they were brought to ICU ten years ago, on March 14. Does that day ring any bells?"_

_Fuji spasmed in shock. "T-that's...two weeks after my birthday..."_

_My eyes widened. "...The day you were put in the orphanage..."_

"_That means, my parents have been here since the day they let me go. But, why?" He turned to the doctor, hoping for some form of answer. But the doctor just shook his head sadly._

"_I'm sorry. I don't know the circumstances surrounding the accident that placed your parents in this hospital. When I was put in charge of them five years ago, I myself wanted to know why they were comatose, but I couldn't find anything on the situation. There wasn't anything in the hospital records, and I would know, I have full clearance. The only clue as to what happened that fateful day comes in the form of a news story released a day later. There were reports of a small explosion and a great deal of gunfire in one of the seedier parts of Tokyo central. It may not be associated with your parents' condition at all, but it's all I could find." _[AN: Again, I won't go into details with this, so come up with your own story if you wish. If I get enough requests, though, I'll write a one-shot about it.]

"_A-ah..."_

_BEEP!_

_The doctor jerked out of his thoughts, glanced at the monitors and yelled for support staff. I looked at one of the monitors that was blinking red. It was the heart rate monitor. And the number was dropping quickly._

"_No..." I muttered, fearing the worst. The doctor went for the defibrillators, but by the time he'd brought them to the chest of Fuji's father, both had flatlined. _

"_Damn! Compressions. NOW!"_

_The team desperately tried to get their hearts to start back up so they could use the defibrillators to bring them back to a safe level. Five minutes later, the doctor, grimacing, called a stop to the compressions. _

"_No," Fuji said haltingly. "No."_

_We all looked at him, unable to do anything as he broke yet again. "NOOO!"_

_Fuji fell to his knees, tears of streaming down his cheeks._

_

* * *

_

"Well, Syuu-kun, you should probably be–"

Yumiko's words were cut off by a violent fit of coughs. Blood escaped her lips and stained her sheets. Then, she arched her back in pain and fell back to the bed, motionless. The various devices surrounding her went off, alarms blaring at varying frequencies. Fuji rushed to her side.

"Yu-chan. Yu-chan, speak to me!" He was then pushed aside by a doctor.

"Get out of the way kid. We're gonna do all we can to save your sister."

But, somehow, Fuji knew it wouldn't be enough. It was like last time. She was going to die, just like his parents four years ago.

Ten minutes later, Seigaku's genius found himself in the same position he'd been in after his parents' deaths. Despair crawled back from the dark recesses of his mind. Why was it that he could never hold onto his happiness?

* * *

Atobe was, for the first time in his life, truly speechless.

"So, Fuji witnessed the death of both his parents...simultaneously?"

Saeki sighed yet again. "Yes. I don't know why, but the world seems to have something against the guy. And, I hope to Kami-sama that Echizen doesn't go the same way. Not only will that be a tragedy in and of itself, Fuji will probably break to the point of being permanently damaged."

"Ah. Well, I hate to cut this short, but Atobe and I have to get going. It's getting late and I have a feeling neither of us will sleep too well tonight. Goodbye, Saeki."

The three stood up. "Likewise, Oshitari. Safe travels to both of you. And, please, don't end up in the hospital. I think enough people have been through those doors lately."

And so, the two Hyoutei players left the Saeki residence for the last time. As the limo pulled away, Oshitari looked at Atobe. "So, what do you think about all this?"

"Well, I don't think I'll ever see Fuji in the same light again."

* * *

"Buchou, we've been walking for hours and you never told us what your big idea was. Care to enlighten us?"

Tachibana blinked. He'd been in deep thought all day and had, in all honesty, forgotten about that. "Well, as both of you know, the Seigaku regulars have been through a great deal in the past few days and have had to deal with a lot of stress."

"And?" prompted Kamio.

"And so, I propose we hold a competition. An event across the entire city of Tokyo: The Great Seigaku-Fudoumine Scavenger Hunt."

* * *

**AN:** And there you have it. Not only does this chapter end the Fuji's story mini-arc, it also starts the next. This chapter was pretty dark throughout, and the real focus was Fuji's story. The only other parts that really mattered were the parts with Fudoumine. But, no, this was NOT filler material. It all has a purpose in the grand scheme of things.

I don't know if I like taking characters out of the picture, but it has to be done for this story to keep rolling in the direction I want it to roll.

And so, I'll start up a poll in my profile (if I can remember how those things work) regarding the two possible one-shots. Somehow, though, I don't think you guys want those right away considering the time periods between the last few chapters (Sorry again!).

Here's the usual Read and Review. Oh, and tell me if there are any major problems I need to fix and/or address later in the story.

Thanks again for reading, and see ya in the next chapter!


	17. Interlude

**AN:** Wow. Sorry, guys. I really need to keep updating. I just found time to do a little, so this chapter is a lot shorter than my usual chapters. However, I'm working on the next right now (well, not right now; I can't type two things at once). Please, please forgive me for being so slow with writing. College is insane, and it's taken a lot more work than I had ever expected.

Also, to Enjie (for being so amazingly concerned with the continuation of this story), thank you. Without your push, I may have left this story under a pile of digital dust.

So, yeah, here's the next chapter (sorry, again for the shortness).

* * *

**Chapter 16: Interlude**

_'So, __Echizen __is __in __the __hospital. __According __to __Tezuka, __he's __been __in __there __for several days_, _and __most __likely __will __be __for __the __next_ _few days_. _Tezuka __also __mentioned __that __there __may __be __some __underlying __cause, __one __which __is __completely __unrelated __to __the __incident __involving __Momoshiro. __I'll __get __An __to __look __into __that __later._

_'What's slightly more puzzling was Tezuka's state of worry. That level of uncertainty is excessive, even for a case like Echizen's. After all, the kid is supposed to wake up in a few days. And then, it's only a matter of time before he's back up to speed and ready for tennis. The only thing I can think of is that, just maybe, something else has gone wrong.'_

"...ch..."

_'But what is it?'_

"...chou..."

_'Did someone else get hurt?'_

"Buchou!"

Tachibana jerked with surprise. After shaking his head a few times to collect his thoughts, he glanced at the boy who'd been so rude as to tear him from his musings.

"Yes, Kamio? What's wrong?"

"Well, you mentioned some extravagant scavenger hunt, and then spaced out. We've been standing here for the past half hour, waiting for you to say something. So, maybe you should tell us what's wrong."

"...I wonder how hard it would be to say 'extravagant scavenger' five times fast...Extravagant scavenger. Ex-"

With a sigh, Tachibana cut in before this could go any further. "Shinji, cut it out. I thought you'd been working on breaking that habit."

"Sorry, Buchou."

"It's fine." Fudoumine's captain turned back to Kamio. "Now, to answer your question, I was just thinking about the whole situation Seigaku's dealing with, Tezuka in particular. After all, as captain, he has to hold the team together during hard times. Anyway, you shouldn't concern yourself with that. Just help me set up this scavenger hunt."

"Okay," Kamio replied. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking of a city-wide hunt. We all know the city pretty well, so it's unlikely that anyone would get lost."

"How are we going to set that up within a reasonable period of time? Not only would we have to place objects and hints all over the city, we'd also have to inform just about every vendor or salesperson in the city. Otherwise, they might get annoyed with a bunch of teenagers shuffling through their goods. Buchou, I know you have connections, but I doubt even you could arrange something like that within a day or two."

"I suppose you have a point. I guess I'll just get An to set it up. If I had to guess, I'd say she'd have it ready in a few hours."

Kamio stood there, stunned. "Wait, what?"

"Oh, yeah," Tachibana chuckled, "An's great at this kind of thing. She must have a more extensive network than the Yakuza. It's actually kind of odd; I can't think of a single person that doesn't like her. I won't lie, though. It's incredibly useful sometimes. If I tell a cashier that I'm her brother, I can almost always get a discount."

"I...have nothing to say to that."

"Yeah, it surprised me when I found out, as well. Anyway, I'll just ask her to set up the scavenger hunt when she gets home tonight, and it'll be ready by tomorrow. I'll give you two the task of letting all of the Seigaku team members know about it. I don't really care how you do it, just get as many of them as possible to agree to join us. I'll let the rest of our team know. Got it?"

"Hai, Buchou!" came the synchronized reply.

"Good. Now, you two should get going. You've got a lot to do before the end of the day."

* * *

And, with that, the pair of Fudoumine players rushed off to find the various Seigaku regulars.

The pain.

The searing, mind-numbing pain.

Blinded with agony, Fuji struggled to his feet and stumbled to the ICU room's doorway. A nurse hurried over to his side, attempting to help him to wherever he was going, but he pushed her away. If he were in a rational state of mind, he may have accepted the help, but the rate at which Fuji's heart was tearing itself apart was too extreme.

For Fuji, it was as if the world had lost all detail. There was no longer a difference between what was real and what wasn't. The only two anchors he still had to reality were his brothers: Yuuta by adoption and Ryoma by love. If either were to pass on to another world, there was no telling what Fuji would do.

His senses had failed him. No longer could he see, hear, touch, smell or taste. All he could do was hurt. And it hurt more than words could describe. Yumiko had been Fuji's entire support crew from the day his adopted father committed suicide. With her gone, it was as though he'd fallen through a floor made of glass. Not only was he falling into darkness, he was being cut by the shards as he fell. Luckily, Ryoma and Yuuta were there to act as part of that floor. At this point, though, Fuji was barely hanging on, razor-sharp glass slicing into his fingers as he clutched for dear life.

After finally making it out of the hospital, Fuji was now at a loss. What should he do now? Jump in front of a car? Or maybe off the edge of that cliff?

But, no, even through the pain, he realized that, were he to throw his life away so callously, he'd put Yuuta in one of the worst situations imaginable. The kid would have no one to lean on, except for the other regulars of St. Rudolph, and its leader Mizuki. And, he couldn't have that. The black-haired demon had nearly destroyed Yuuta's arm by pushing him to use that dangerous Twist Spin shot.

Instead, he chose to make one of the smartest decisions he'd made since the whole Echizen debacle began: He called Saeki. As the phone began connecting, Fuji started to get nervous. What if Saeki tried to do what he did before? Seigaku's tensai didn't know if he'd be able to handle such an attempt. That kind of pressure might put him over the edge and cause him to do something he may regret.

* * *

"Fuji?"

Hearing his ringtone, Saeki whipped his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen to see who was trying to get in touch with him. When he saw the name, his eyes widened slightly. As his thumb moved toward the "Answer" button, he couldn't deny the fact that he was more than a bit nervous. After everything he'd learned about the situation in Tokyo, he was afraid Fuji might be calling to ask for assistance in whatever nefarious plot he'd almost certainly cooked up.

Taking a deep breath, Saeki pressed the button and raised his phone to his ear.

"Fuji?" There was a lengthy pause before he got a reply. This silence was broken only by what Saeki thought to be sniffles. But, that couldn't be right, could it? Why in the world would Fuji, of all people, be crying?

"Ko-kun," Fuji mumbled. Now, Saeki was absolutely frightened. Fuji hadn't called him by that since entering the ranks of Seigaku. Something must have gone terribly wrong.

After a moment, Fuji continued. "Ko-kun...Yu-Yumiko is...She's...She's dead, Ko-kun."

Saeki was left completely dumbstruck by that statement. His mind had gone completely blank, and he couldn't, for the life of him, think of anything to say for what must have been about five minutes. "W-what? Fuji, where are you right now? I'll head over there, and then we can talk about this."

"Ko-kun, I don't really want to talk about it right n-"

"Shut it, Syuusuke. It's obvious you want to talk about it. Otherwise, you wouldn't have called me. Now, tell me where you are. And don't you dare move until I get there. I will be most upset with you should you decide to migrate elsewhere."

"...Fine. I'm outside the hospital at the moment. You know, the one every Seigaku regular has probably been to at least once in their time with the team."

"Got it," Saeki replied. "I'll be over there as soon as humanly possible."

And, then, the white-haired boy cut the conversation to an abrupt end. Turning toward the kitchen, he called out to his mother. "Kaa-san, give me the keys to the car."

"Are you crazy, Ko-kun, you're nowhere near old enough to drive. Besides, why would you need to drive anywhere in the first place? You can just take the train if you're heading into the city."

"I have to get there, now, Kaa-san. Yumiko just passed away."

After a moment of silence, Saeki's mother reply came, slightly higher-pitched than normal. "...Get in the car, Ko-kun. We're going to Tokyo."

* * *

Fuji couldn't begin to count the number of people he'd bumped into as he stumbled through the streets of downtown Tokyo. What he was doing there, he wasn't sure. Nothing made sense right now, but, for some reason, that was okay. His life was falling apart at the seams, and there was nothing he could do about it.

It had been an hour since he'd called Saeki, and he'd been on the move since. The pain had been surreal—it still was but on some lower level. A few minutes ago, to keep itself from cracking, Fuji's mind had taken the portions in agony—there had been many—and shut them off from his conscious mind. On a subconscious level, he still knew something was wrong, terribly wrong, but at the moment he was numb. It was an odd, twisted form of bliss he'd never experienced before. Not caring. About anything. Fuji wasn't used to this.

But he was beginning to like it.

* * *

**AN:** So, yeah, there it is. The next chapter should be up pretty soon (within the next month at the latest. For real, this time.). Also, side-note: The new doc editor sucks.


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